Ford, which has been well and truly knocked off its traditional European sales perch over the past few years, is fighting back with the announcement of a whole new model lineup that might see the reintroduction of the Fiesta name.
A new Fiesta? Tell us more…
Well, we've known since last year that Ford was going to buy in and license Renault's small EV platform, the same 'Ampr' set of components that already underpins the Renault 5, Renault 4, and Nissan Micra. This is the first time we've seen a little more detail, though.
Ford is promising seven new models for the European market, and a small electric hatch - which, c'mon, surely has to be called Fiesta? - will be built for Ford, by Renault, at the French company's factory in Douai, north-east France.
There's more than just a small hatchback in that image…
Indeed, there is. Ford has also confirmed a compact electric SUV, so it looks very much as if it's following Renault's lead with the Renault 5 and Renault 4 - a small, sporty EV hatch with a taller, more practical crossover brother built on the same set of components. Expect both cars to have a range of around 400km.
Why am I seeing so many spotlights?
Ah, this is interesting. Yes, several of the cars in the occluded image that Ford has issued have spotlights on the front, and the official statement from Ford speaks a lot about 'injecting "race to road" capabilities into the B-segment' and 'rally-bred design language and drive dynamics.'
Ford, of course, has an amazing heritage in rallying, from the original Lotus Cortina, through generations of Escorts, Cosworth-badged models, the Focus WRC, and the current Puma WRC Hybrid. Clearly, the Blue Oval is planning to lean into its heritage as a way of putting some clear air between Ford's new EV models and the ever-expanding Chinese brands.
"We are absolutely supportive of Ford's strategy to go on the offensive in Europe," said Nicola Gilda, Managing Director, Peoples Automotive Group and Chair of Ford's European Dealer Council. "Building on the success of Ford Pro, while also tapping into Ford's racing heritage for the design of the new passenger vehicles - it's clear that Ford is back to win.”
That's two models - what else is coming?
Ford is also planning three new SUV models, and these are likely to be more of Ford's own work, rather than buying in platforms from Renault or VW.
The first will be a rugged-looking SUV that shares a platform with the current Ford Kuga, and which will be built in the same factory in Valencia as the Kuga. It will also share that car's hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, and it'll be the first Ford model in Europe to officially use the Bronco name.
The Bronco has been resurrected in the US as a rugged, all-terrain rival to the likes of the Jeep Wrangler, and has been a big success. That's not the Bronco we're getting, though. Expect the European Bronco to share a lot with the US-market Bronco Sport, an SUV that looks the part, but which is also based on the same basic underpinnings as the Kuga.
When does that arrive?
That Euro-Bronco will be the first of this new wave of Ford cars, and will be on sale in 2028. The two electric cars, the ones based on Renaults, won't hit the market until 2028 or 2029, and Ford is planning two more crossover models - said to also be 'rally-bred' - by then, but we don't have any more details on those yet.
Anything else?
Ford's also planning a super-rugged new version of the Ranger pickup, which gets uprated suspension for a maximum two-tonne payload, and a 4.5-tonne towing weight. On the commercial vehicle front, that is about to be joined by an affordable Chinese-built electric Transit City.
Ford is also calling for changes to European electric car legislation, saying that the rules need to be changed to better align with the needs of car buyers. Ford says that it is: "Committed to supporting customers on the journey to a zero-emission future, but when emissions targets are decoupled from the reality of consumer demand, the consequences are counterproductive: buyers hold on to older, higher-emission vehicles for longer, and the economics of industrial investment are undermined. In addition, "Made in Europe" rules must reflect the reality of integrated regional supply chains and the important role of regional partners like Türkiye, Morocco and the UK play in our industrial ecosystem. Excluding or restricting these markets will undermine European competitiveness and will ultimately increase costs for consumers.”
Ford also called for more realistic targets on EV adoption and emissions reductions, as well as more encouragement for long-range PHEV models. "We don't build vehicles to meet regulatory mandates; we build them for people," Jim Baumbick, President, Ford in Europe "The fastest route to zero emissions is the one customers will actually take. We can accelerate emissions reductions today with hybrid technologies that that let customers drive electric whenever they can."