Fiesta may return thanks to Ford/VW tie-up

Success of deal that brought us new Ford Explorer and Capri could allow EV rebirth of brand's big-selling supemini

- Richard Ingram

FORD'S iconic Fiesta nameplate could rise from the ashes with help from Volkswagen, with the two brands reported to be exploring new projects after a “very successful” first endeavour.

The final Ford Fiesta rolled off the production line in July 2023, but the success of the deal that let the Ford Explorer and Capri use the platform from VW's ID.4 and ID.5 means a surprise return could be on the cards.

While nothing is yet confirmed, the German firm's head of sales and marketing, Martin Sander, exclusively told Auto Express that he considered Ford and VW’s original EV tie-up to be “very, very, very successful” and that he did “not want to rule out that there are future opportunities here to share technology again”.

This could therefore open up the possibility of a new breed of Ford-badged small cars and superminis, based on the shortened MEB Entry platform set to underpin the VW ID.1 and ID.2. Doing so could see the Fiesta reborn as an electric car featuring up to 280 miles of range and DC fast-charging speeds of 125kW.

The initial agreement that VW came to with Ford was, according to Sander, “an opportunity for [VW] to scale even more than we can, on the basis of the size of our business” – something that could, in theory, be repeated with a second round of smaller, more efficient family cars.

Ford is heading into a potentially pivotal period as it plots its European future; the Puma remains a big seller, yet with a starting price of more than £26,500 (or closer to £30k for the EV) it’s not an affordable entry-point. But as the company has hinted previously, it has become increasingly difficult to make money on city cars and traditional family hatchbacks.