Ford has been winning over hot hatchback enthusiasts in the United States for roughly five years, but one of the models that helped it do so will no longer be sold on this side of the pond.
Ford Performance of Europe director Leo Roeks recently confirmed at the International Motor Show Germany that the updated Fiesta lineup — including the performance-oriented ST trim — won’t be sold stateside, according to Carbuzz. Although Ford debuted the updated Fiesta lineup in November, it had yet to confirm whether the new model would be brought to the U.S.
The news, though disheartening, isn’t very surprising, as the popularity of small cars in the U.S. has steadily been declining. We held out hope that the “Blue Oval” would at least continue to sell the hot Fiesta here, given that sales of Ford’s ST and RS models bucked that industry-wide trend, but Roeks claims that wouldn’t be a viable option.
“It’s simply a matter of a lack of interest in the B-segment in America,” Roeks told Carbuzz. “It doesn’t make sense, nor is it possible financially speaking, to import a single trim level, and a niche one at that.”
It’s disappointing that we won’t get what should be the most potent Fiesta ever made, given that it produces the same amount of power as the current model with one fewer cylinder. It’s especially upsetting as Ford, while touting its hot hatch sales in 2016, pledged its commitment to “affordable performance.”
“For decades, we heard criticism from customers that Ford sold its best small cars only in Europe, yet in five short years we’ve built a reputation here for making very serious but affordable performance cars with our Focus ST and Fiesta ST one-two punch,” Jessica Bishop, Ford Focus brand manager, said in a statement. “Buyers now know Ford is committed to affordable performance.”
The now least expensive hot hatch in Ford’s lineup, the Focus ST, admittedly is still affordable. But with a starting price that’s roughly $3,000 higher than the compact Fiesta ST’s, the entry-level Ford Performance model might now be out of reach for some consumers.
Thumbnail photo via Ford
