I always liked Ford, probably because my father drove some.

Started with Sierra (by mistake, sluggish 1,6), had Escort 7 (still sluggish 1,6 16V) eyeing Focus 1 and was very happy to buy Focus 2,5 (1,8 diesel torque).

Focus 3 was pale outside and ugly inside and had smaller trunk, never wanted it.

When Focus 4 came it looked better than 3, even if that would not be timeless as 2. They announced Active, I thought that is it. But then started with downsizing, Ecoboost, avoiding diesel.. all self-inflicting decisions. 

 

All the time seemed that Ford does not follow others who adapted to SUV popularity. VW kept Golf and had Tiguan for good sales. Renault, Peugeot .. had many models, one could choose.

But in the end, Ford was following electric short living vehicles (losing billions), deindustrialisation, no more personal transport, net zero and all other horrible policies of Great reset, digital prison.

Cars could easily drive for 30 years, Mk1 nears that.

New overly complex and expensive vehicles will not be able, maybe 10 years for battery or digital commands. Euro 7 will add more to price and complexity.

That fits into WEF overall goals which are relentlessly pursued by EU, UK and others. 

 

Got to say I really love my Mk4.5 Active X estate.  Best Ford I've ever owned, second only to a 55 plate Mk3 Mondeo which I still have - both hold the road so well.

I will be sorry to see the Focus go, as indeed I was with the Fiesta and Mondeo.

I passed my test in a Mk1 Escort back in '75.  Had Escorts, Sierras and Mondeos ever since.  I was born just a few miles from Dunton so it was only natural ☺️!

As already mentioned , the days of ford Europe  making cars are numbered. Will be commercials only  in Europe/ UK. I said that at work maybe 5 yrs ago. Coming true slowly. Wasn't that long ago there was ka, fiesta, b max c max grand c max, focus , s max galaxy , Kuga, Mondeo. 

21 minutes ago, iantt said:

Wasn't that long ago there was ka, fiesta, b max c max grand c max, focus , s max galaxy , Kuga, Mondeo. 

....and now we have the Capri.

  I don't know whether to laugh or cry 🤣😢

I had a mk1, my wife had a mk2 and now I have a mk3. I absolutely love the Ford Focus and I’m gutted that it’s ended production to make way for SUVs and EVs. In terms of driving pleasure, the mk1 was the best, the handling was superb and it was pretty quick for a 1.8 TDCi.
 

In terms of practicality, the mk2 was unbeatable. It was also incredibly solid. An elderly lady wrote our mk2 off by hitting us at full speed at an island, sending the car into a lamppost. I was still able to drive it home despite the damage. The boot size was huge and the the cabin for front and rear passengers was very spacious, with plenty of leg and head room. 
 

I can’t say the same for the mk3. The cabin and boot space is not the best. I bought the mk3 purely on looks and performance. I went for the 1.6 ecoboost (180bhp). I shall be upgrading the performance ☺️✊🏻

On 11/29/2025 at 10:14 PM, unofix said:

....and now we have the Capri.

  I don't know whether to laugh or cry 🤣😢

Laugh, definitely laugh

They haven't killed off the car, they will just be using a different name for its replacement in the range. The name Focus replaced Escort, and the name Escort replaced Anglia. Ditto with Cortina/Sierra/Mondeo etc.

1 hour ago, RMurphy195 said:

They haven't killed off the car, they will just be using a different name for its replacement in the range.

..... and eCrap SUV replaces Focus 😢

I highly doubt that Ford is actually able to launch a completely newly developed model to replace the Focus within the foreseeable future.

Developing a completely new model usually takes Years. In my opinion, in the current market Ford does not have Years. Their complete market share will be gone to other manufacturers by the time they are able to launch a new model. It will be extremely difficult to get these customers back to the blue oval.

The only way to launch a new model within the foreseeable future will be by adapting another existing model from a different car manufacturer. Due to the fact that Ford closely collaborates with VW on the Explorer EV / Capri, Transit/Tourneo and Ranger models it is highly likely that the announced Focus replacement will also be a VW derivative.

To be honest if I wanted to drive a VW product (which I clearly do not) I would go for a Skoda Elroq or Enyac and not a Ford Explorer EV or Capri.

Ford needs to introduce a major innovation and set itself apart from other manufacturers if it wants to reclaim its former position in the market. Something I personally not expect to happen. Like it or not but both the Korean and Chinese manufacturers showed to be able to develop and manufacture technologically advanced EV's that are superior to the European equivalents.


The way I see it discontinuing the Fiesta and Focus was a big mistake. There certainly is a market for these vehicles. The last few Years Ford completely missed the boat by not offering proper full hybrid or EV versions of the Fiesta/Focus. Many corporate clients were not able to drive the Fiesta/Focus because many companies only allow full hybrids and EV's for their company cars. 
 

Kia seem to be aiming to film the gap with this:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/kia/k4

When Autocar featured it in their print version, the front cover had:

 "The Focus has gone - try this instead"

I keep seeing rumours of an "E-Fiesta" spun off the forthcoming VW ID 2. It's possible that Ford might make a better job of the suspension tune (apparently they have with the Explorer vs the ID4 but not if seems against the Skoda versions). 

So there might be reasons why some might consider it rather than a Polo electric. I preferred dealing with my local Ford outlet rather than the VW Group dealerships in my area, for instance - but as Ford have reduced the dealership to a service point, that's that. 

 

5 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Kia seem to be aiming to film the gap with this:

https://www.autoexpress.co.uk/kia/k4

They also do an estate version so you can put your dogs in the back 'Kia K9' 😉

3 minutes ago, unofix said:

They also do an estate version so you can put your dogs in the back 'Kia K9' 😉

There is a Kia EV 9 so you're near the mark there! Looks to be plenty of room for man's best friend too.

https://www.kia.com/uk/new-cars/ev9/?msockid=2276338d5add66962d2821ec5b856753

2 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

There is a Kia EV 9

"God preserve us" 😢

Just as a general observation, you only have to read threads on here from members looking for their next car and trying to justify one of Ford's few remaining offerings, to see the huge amount of brand loyalty which Ford have squandered.

5 minutes ago, Eric Bloodaxe said:

trying to justify one of Ford's few remaining offerings, to see the huge amount of brand loyalty which Ford have squandered.

It's so very very sad, but of course this is what the Globalists planed all along. Kill the western car industry and force us to drive Chinese EV's that spy on our every move and record every word said.

I can't see me ever being able to replace my 2019 Focus and my 2022 Ranger. I'll just have to look after them and keep them on the road as long as possible.

1 hour ago, unofix said:

I can't see me ever being able to replace my.....

....cars either.  My brother is of the same opinion, nothing new out there that inspires at all.  The trouble will be when we cannot get bits to keep them going.....

1 hour ago, Paulkp said:

The trouble will be when we cannot get bits to keep them going.....

The UK in 30 years time will be like Cuba (in more ways than one).

Cuba is famous for its classic American cars, which are a symbol of the country's history, resilience, and ingenuity. Due to the US embargo, which began after the 1959 revolution, the importation of new cars and spare parts was halted, forcing Cubans to keep their vintage vehicles running using creative, often makeshift, repairs and parts from other sources. This has turned Cuba into a living museum of classic automobiles, with tens of thousands of pre-1960s American cars still on the road, alongside Soviet-era cars like Ladas and Volgas.

14 hours ago, unofix said:

The UK in 30 years time will be like Cuba (in more ways than one).

Cuba is famous for its classic American cars, which are a symbol of the country's history, resilience, and ingenuity. Due to the US embargo, which began after the 1959 revolution, the importation of new cars and spare parts was halted, forcing Cubans to keep their vintage vehicles running using creative, often makeshift, repairs and parts from other sources. This has turned Cuba into a living museum of classic automobiles, with tens of thousands of pre-1960s American cars still on the road, alongside Soviet-era cars like Ladas and Volgas.

I doubt very much I will alive, let alone driving in 30 yrs time. I'm not fretting over fords demise. 

6 minutes ago, iantt said:

I doubt very much I will alive, let alone driving in 30 yrs time

Sad but true. I doubt if there will be many of us still around in just 20 years time 🙁

On 11/29/2025 at 2:14 PM, ForTim said:

had Escort 7

I'm very surprised you got away with that 😂 usually when I've said that because l have 1 of them all l saw was they never made a mk7 😂 they did because if you buy certain parts for what we say is the mk6 then you find they don't fit n even ford declared it as the mk7 it's only the uk that called the previous mk5 ( mk5a mk5b )

On 12/1/2025 at 5:34 PM, JW1982 said:

Due to the fact that Ford closely collaborates with VW, this 1 l see as a very weird 1 because of the collapse they did previously the vw/seat versions are the only version l ever see l think I've seen 1 in years that had the ford badge.

 

On 12/1/2025 at 5:48 PM, Eric Bloodaxe said:

Kia seem to be aiming to film the gap with this:

That's just sad as it's just another remake of the ceed. The stonic the released is another version of it they only make slight changes to the body.. l find it quite sad in that way.

 

Sadly it is just all too obvious that most people (not me) want bigger & bigger vehicles, a trend that is discussed on the BBC news site today - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cy7vdvl2531o - and that is the direction that Ford have headed with complete disregard for those of us (dinosaurs) who prefer smaller mid-sized cars. 

52 minutes ago, mad-mushroom said:

most people (not me) want bigger & bigger vehicles

Not me either. I want the smallest vehicle that will do the job I need it to do.

I do wonder if vehicles are getting bigger because of customer demand or if it is driven by the manufacturers/safety rules. All this impact protection stuff has to go somewhere, batteries for the battery operated versions need to go somewhere, manufacturers can charge a premium for bigger vehicles and generate more profits. Customers can only buy what the manufacturers offer.

On 12/3/2025 at 8:56 AM, pcaouolte said:

Not me either. I want the smallest vehicle that will do the job I need it to do.

I do wonder if vehicles are getting bigger because of customer demand or if it is driven by the manufacturers/safety rules. All this impact protection stuff has to go somewhere, batteries for the battery operated versions need to go somewhere, manufacturers can charge a premium for bigger vehicles and generate more profits. Customers can only buy what the manufacturers offer.

I think it is largely customer driven. Big egos need big cars. The amount of time I get cut up by SUV drivers who ignore all rules of the road and use the cars size to push people around. Just yesterday an SUV ignored roundabout rules and nearly crashed into me having the cheek to have a go at me 

17 minutes ago, Eli_P said:

Big egos need big cars

Yes, there has always been an element of that, together with some poor drivers who choose big vehicles so that when they have an accident they are less likely to get hurt. ☹️

Has the proportion of big ego and poor quality drivers changed to such an extent that would lead to an increase in the number of SUVs on the road?

I recently purchased a Puma, its basically a jumped up Fiesta. I would have preferred a Focus but there were fewer of those available to buy and they are were coming to the end of their production so I opted for the Puma instead. I believe the Puma is now the smallest Ford available. Its huge compared to the old Ka or Fiesta.  

56 minutes ago, pcaouolte said:

I would have preferred a Focus but there were fewer of those available to buy and they are were coming to the end of their production  

Yes, I got a one year old Focus recently because I reckon that in a couple of years time it will get harder and harder to find good ones.  I definitely wanted to stick with Ford but not SUV (or electric!).