Ford Focus, one of the most important models of the American manufacturer and a genuine rival for Volkswagen Golf, has reached the end of the road. Ford will give up the famous compact model in 2025, after 27 years of production and four generations.

Stuart Rowley, Ford of Europe CEO, confirmed this for Automotive News. The model will not have a direct replacement and will not receive any pure electric version. Moreover, the Saarlouis plant, where Focus is produced, could be sold after production ceases.

"We are looking for alternative opportunities for vehicle production in Saarlouis, which includes selling the plant to other manufacturers," said Rowley. "We don't have an extra model in our planning cycle that goes into the Saarlouis."

The Ford Focus was first introduced in 1998. The compact model replaced the old Escort and was a solid rival to the highly competitive compact class models such as the Volkswagen Golf and Opel Astra.

The first generation received a facelift in 2001, before being replaced by a new generation in 2004. It received a facelift in 2008 and was produced in 2010 in Europe. At the same time, the 3rd generation was introduced, the longest-lived generation to date. This model was produced until 2018, with a facelift received in 2014.

The current generation Ford Focus was introduced in 2018 and received a facelift at the end of 2021. However, due to the global semiconductor crisis and the lack of essential components, Focus suffered in terms of sales. As a result of these problems, the waiting time for Focus has reached over one year.

The Ford Focus will likely continue to exist only in the Chinese market. Also, the Ford Mondeo was recently taken out of production in Europe.

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