Ford Could Revive Fiesta As An EV, But We've Been Burned Before

It was a sad day across Europe last week as the last Ford Fiesta subcompact, at least as we know it, rolled off the assembly line in Cologne, Germany. A staple in Ford's lineup for nearly 50 years and at one time the best-selling car on the continent, Fiesta sales have been waning in recent years as buyer preferences shift to crossover SUVs. This prompted the automaker to kill the tiny runabout in order to increase manufacturing capacity for the brand's electric vehicles.

In an ironic twist, the Fiesta itself could return as an EV, according to Ford Europe's general manager of passenger cars Martin Sander. "If that were to happen, the Fiesta EV would likely be a version of Volkswagen's upcoming affordable small EV," Sander said in an interview with Automotive News Europe.

The vehicle that's being referenced is Volkswagen's MEB Entry platform, which currently serves as the basis for the brand's upcoming ID.2all EV. The ID.2all is roughly the same size as a Volkswagen Golf, retails for the equivalent of $27,000, and is expected to go on sale at some point in 2025. An additional model from the MEB Entry architecture is also in works called the ID.1 — reportedly about the size of the brand's Polo, with a target price of approximately $21,000.

Ford already has a relationship with the German carmaker to build two EVs based on Volkswagen's MEB platform: the first of which is a compact SUV called the Explorer (not the same as the U.S. market Explorer), with a second yet-unknown crossover SUV in the wings. Both vehicles will be built at the same Cologne plant that previously churned out Fiestas. Note the MEB platform differs from the MEB Entry, which is more compact and only available in a front-wheel drive configuration. 

While the door is clearly being propped open for an all-electric Fiesta, it's no doubt that Ford's top priority is its own EV platform rather than sharing with other OEMs — especially considering Ford's expansion of EV manufacturing to an additional facility located near Valencia, Spain. The automaker also intends to focus on physically larger vehicles which have higher profit margins.

Even if the Fiesta nameplate does get reincarnated as an EV, its diehard fans might be facing disappointment. Such was the case when Ford brought back the Puma as a hybrid crossover, eschewing the car's roots as a sporty compact coupe.