Ford made the decision to discontinue the Focus some time ago, with production of that model set to end at the Saarlouis Assembly plant in Germany this coming November. When that particular decision was made, the automaker was planning on transitioning to a fully electric passenger vehicle lineup in Europe, but since then, weak demand prompted The Blue Oval to nix those plans. Regardless, Focus production is still set to end in the coming weeks, and this Ford Focus ST might be the last version of that high-performance variant to roll off the line.
This recent post on Reddit shows what is purported to be the very last Ford Focus ST built at Saarlouis, though there’s currently no official release to confirm whether or not it’s true. Regardless, we do know that Ford Focus ST order banks closed in the UK way back in May of this year, though at the time, customers could still order the Active X Edition, ST-Line, and ST-Line X Edition trims, all powered by the turbocharged 1.0L I-3 EcoBoost engine.
As for the Saarlouis plant, it won’t completely go away when Focus production ends in November – rather, it will remain open through 2032, though it’s currently unclear what sort of plans Ford has for the facility, and it has been exploring the possibility of selling it to another company, too.
Recently, the German union IG Metall agreed to Ford’s proposed job cuts at the Saarlouis Assembly plant, with the total reduction coming in at around 3,500 workers. This is precisely the number that was previously expected, meaning that only 1,000 of the plant’s current 4,500 employee workforce will remain intact after Focus production concludes. FoMoCo also noted that the remaining 1,000 workers can stay at the plant through 2032 with no forced redundancies, and if they wish to leave early, they’ll receive an “attractive” severance package.
Good idea, or boring?
The Italian company blows away everyone else in that regard.
Nothing else has seemingly changed but the price.
Its outlook remains a bit mixed.
He's taking a wait and see approach as some brands jump onboard.
Improving year-over-year, along with the entire market.
