As Ford Authority reported last week, both the Ford Focus ST and Ford Fiesta ST have been dropped from the Australian lineup amid numerous production issues and supply chain constraints, and the Puma ST won’t be coming along to replace either as well. That led many to wonder if those two hot hatches would follow suit in New Zealand, particularly after Ford stopped making the three-door Fiesta altogether and is in the midst of an electrified transformation in that country that includes the launch of the Ford Mustang Mach-E next year. However, while the Ford Fiesta ST has indeed been cut from the automaker’s New Zealand lineup, it seems as if the Focus ST will live on, at least for now, according to Autocar.
“The Fiesta ST has been a segment-defining hot hatch for New Zealand and has put smiles on the faces of enthusiasts across the country, and we want to thank those fans for their passion,” said Simon Rutherford, Managing Director, Ford New Zealand. “But with semiconductor-related supply shortages and our focus on emerging areas of growth, we’ve made the difficult decision to call time on the iconic hot hatch. We look forward to sharing more about the next era of our performance vehicle lineup soon.”
This statement echoes what Ford Australia president and CEO Andrew Birkic said about the Fiesta and Focus ST’s departure from Australia, and somewhat leaves the door open for future performance models in those countries as well. However, rather than hot hatches, it seems as if those models will consist of crossovers and/or all-electric vehicles moving forward.
Ford plans on launching a total of seven electrified models in New Zealand by the end of 2024 – a group that includes the Mach-E – which leaves little room for hatchbacks. Meanwhile, though both the Fiesta and Focus received a refresh for the 2022 model year, each has also faced its fair share of production issues over the past several months.
We’ll have more on the Focus and Fiesta soon, so subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford Focus news, Ford Fiesta news, and ongoing Ford news coverage.
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