It’s nearly a year on from the all-new, seventh-generation Ford Fiesta’s reveal in Europe, and still we have yet to receive confirmation that the subcompact is US-bound.
Sadly, an American release is looking more unlikely than ever; according to Romanian outlet 0-100, Ford B-segment Vehicle Program Manager Robert Stiller indicated that the automaker isn’t likely to roll out the seventh-generation Ford Fiesta in the US due to historically sluggish sales.
“The previous model was a global Ford product, and with the new generation, we are targeting only Europe, the Middle East, and Africa,” Stiller said. “In North America, especially the US, China, and Latin America, the demand for such vehicles is declining, and we are reacting accordingly.”
Fair enough; Ford sold just 48,807 subcompacts in the US in 2016, down from 64,458 the year before and a high of 71,073 units in 2013. By contrast, the Ford Fiesta’s larger cousin, the Focus, sold in numbers of 168,789 (2016) and 202,478 (2015). That’s more than three times as many unit sales for each of the past two years..
Sadly, all this probably means that the all-new Ford Fiesta ST will steer clear from the US market, as well. The redesigned hot hatch, revealed earlier this year in February, offers 197 horsepower by way of a 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder.
But don’t you worry, America; you still ought to be allowed to import one 25 years after its release.
(Source: Autoevolution)
No Comments yet