Ford’s New Cars For Europe Won’t Be ‘Toasters On Wheels’

Ford CEO Jim Farley famously said in 2024 that the company he’s running is “getting out of the boring-car business and into the iconic-vehicle business.” Since then, we’ve had to bid farewell to the Focus, which joined the Fiesta and Mondeo in the Blue Oval’s graveyard. But as much as it pains me to see the sad state of Ford’s lineup in Europe, I am moderately excited about what lies ahead.

Five new models are coming to the continent by late 2029, described as “rally-bred vehicles tailored to Europe.” A region-specific Bronco variant is set to enter production in 2028 at the Valencia plant in Spain, featuring a multi-energy setup. In other words, expect a mix of combustion engines and electric drivetrains.

Ford will be returning to the supermini segment with a new small electric hatchback meant to fill the void left by the Fiesta’s demise in 2023. Chances are it’s one of the two vehicles that Renault will develop and build as part of a tie-up announced last December. If that’s accurate, the possible return of the Fiesta will be related to the Renault 5.

Ford Of Europe Swagger

There are also plans for a “dynamic, fully electric small SUV,” which, by logic, will be cut from the same cloth as the Renault 4. However, these two models will be more than just Renaults with different badges, as Ford will handle the design and embed “distinctive driving dynamics,” all while retaining Ford of Europe’s “swagger.”

The remaining two vehicles are multi-energy crossovers, presumably successors to the Puma and Kuga. The current-generation models have been around since 2019, so the timing seems right to launch their replacements before the decade ends. There is no word on the fate of the Explorer and Capri EVs, which are based on the Volkswagen ID.4 and ID.5, respectively.

Fun To Drive

Ford’s promise for the upcoming influx of new models is that none of them will be dull to drive. In an interview with Automotive News Europe, the company’s European boss, Jim Baumbick, pledged to infuse excitement into these vehicles, saying they won’t be “toasters on wheels.”

The official statement released earlier this week also builds hype around the new arrivals:

‘Ford has more than a century of racing heritage, particularly in the world of rally, Europe’s native racing format. Combining that off-road DNA with on-road performance, Ford will create rally-bred vehicles tailored to Europe. Ford’s new European lineup will deliver multi-energy vehicles where thrill and adventure coexist with control and precision — built to handle the unique challenges of Europe’s alpine passes, cobblestoned streets, and winding roads.’

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Source: Ford

Motor1’s Take: Ford’s focus on electrified products means that true successors to the old-guard models are not planned. While that may come as a disappointment, it’s unrealistic to expect any carmaker to develop new pure combustion-engine cars for Europe anymore. Ever-tightening emissions regulations are forcing all companies to go hybrid and electric.

Ford is calling for more relaxed legislation, but the European Union has already loosened the regulatory framework for 2035 by dropping the outright ban on new ICE car sales. Whether the EU is willing to make further concessions remains unclear, and in the meantime, carmakers must slash CO₂ emissions by 90 percent from 2021 levels by 2035.

While that does leave the door open for some ICE cars to survive past the middle of the next decade, almost everything will be either a plug-in hybrid or a pure EV by then.