While it’s not been possible to buy a new Ford Focus in South Africa since the first half of 2019, it seems the hatchback’s time on the global stage is coming to an end, too…

Ford has confirmed it plans to wrap up production of the Focus hatchback in Europe by 2025, bringing down the curtain on what will by then have been a 27-year run for the nameplate.

The news come after the Blue Oval brand announced the “next step in its transformation” towards an “all-electric future” in Europe, selecting its Valencia plant in Spain to produce vehicles based on a next-generation electric platform. That means the Saarlouis factory in Germany, where the Focus is currently built, misses out.

In fact, the Dearborn-based automaker has gone as far as confirming there are no plans to replace Focus production in Saarlouis when the product cycle ends in 2025.

According to Automotive News Europe, Ford of Europe Chairman Stuart Rowley told media the company was “seeking other alternative opportunities for vehicle production at Saarlouis”, including potentially selling the factory to another manufacturer.

“We do not have in our planning cycle an additional model that goes into Saarlouis,” Rowley said, confirming the end of the line for the Focus by 2025.

A quick look at the history of the Focus

The original Focus was launched in Europe back in 1998, with the second-generation version hitting the global stage in 2004 (and being built here in South Africa, as well as at other sites)and the third iteration going into production late in 2010.

While the first three generations were sold locally, the fourth-gen model(and the 206 kWST pictured above) didn’t ever make it to South Africa, much to the dismay of local Ford enthusiasts (and despite there being initial plans to launch it here).

Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa effectively axedthe nameplate locally when the third-gen Focus range – which included sedan and hatchback body styles, as well as the front-driven 184 kW ST and all-paw 257 kW RS hot hatches – was discontinued at the end of the first quarter of 2019.

Since then, Ford has also pulled the Figo and Fiesta line-ups from the South African market, leaving the Mustang as its only true passenger-car offering.

The 257 kW Focus RS was discontinued in SA in 2019, along with the rest of the third-generation range.