Ford Ends Focus Production After 27 Years

Ford Motor Company has officially ended production of its iconic Focus compact car after 27 years, with the final white five-door hatchback rolling off the assembly line at the company's Saarlouis plant in Germany in November 2025. The model, which debuted in 1998 as a replacement for the Escort, achieved global sales of more than 12 million units and became a staple for families and enthusiasts alike.

The Focus launched under Ford's Ford 2000 initiative, aimed at unifying its compact car offerings across Europe and North America. The first-generation version arrived in Europe in 1998 and earned the European Car of the Year award in 1999. North American sales began the following year for the 2000 model year. Its appeal stemmed from practical design, affordable pricing and versatile performance, topping new car sales charts in Britain for a decade from 1999 to 2008. Variants like the sporty ST, introduced in 2002 with enhanced suspension and brakes, and the high-performance RS, featuring turbocharged power and all-wheel drive, further broadened its reach until their discontinuations in 2020 and September 2025, respectively.

Production ceased in the United States in 2018 amid...