OFFICIAL: Ford Fiesta, S-Max and Galaxy AXED – casualties of the EV onslaught

Ford confirms the end of the Ford Fiesta is nigh, with Fiesta production ending in 2023, as does production of the S-Max and Galaxy.

It’s almost half a century since the Ford Fiesta arrived, and in that time it’s been Ford’s best-selling model and, just like the Mini before it, almost ‘classless’. You’ll struggle to find almost anyone who drives who hasn’t driven or owned a Fiesta at some point, but its demise is now confirmed despite its successful history and still decent sales.

Ford says:

We are accelerating our efforts to go all-in on electrification with our passenger vehicles being fully electric by 2030 – and all vehicles across our Ford portfolio by 2035. As we get ready to transition to an electric future, we will discontinue production of S-Max and Galaxy in Valencia, Spain in April 2023 and discontinue Fiesta production in Cologne, Germany by end of June 2023.

We will introduce three new exciting electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles in Europe by 2024. We plan to sell more than 600,000 electric vehicles in the region by 2026, and the electric passenger vehicle production at the Cologne Electrification Centre will reach 1.2 million vehicles over a six-year timeframe.

Of course, it’s the shift to EVs which is forcing Ford to cull models, but we can’t help but think the Fiesta has priced itself out of what was its core market – young drivers and second cars – over the years.

When the Fiesta launched in 1977 it cost from £1,865, but now costs ten times as much (from £18,655). And just for reference, £1,865 in 1977 would be £9,817 today according to the Bank of England. So the Fiesta now cost double, in real terms.

Of course, Ford is going to be rolling out new EVs, some based on VW’s ID Platform, to ‘replace’ the Fiesta and others, but they’ll be even less affordable for ordinary drivers than the Fiesta.

It’s called progress.