Quick Highlights:
- The final Ford Focus ST rolled off the Saarlouis plant on September 26, ending Europe’s iconic hot hatch era.
- Fourth-gen Focus ST featured 276 hp, electronic limited-slip diff, refined steering geometry, and turbo anti-lag.
- Ford’s European passenger car lineup now includes only the Mustang after discontinuing Fiesta and Mondeo.
- Europe’s hot hatch segment continues to shrink under stricter emissions regulations, with few remaining options from VW, Audi, Toyota, and BMW.
Europe’s hot hatch market lost one of its most cherished icons as the Ford Focus ST ended production. The final model rolled off the Saarlouis assembly line in Germany on September 26, closing the book on a series of performance cars that defined spirited driving for nearly three decades. While the standard Focus will continue for a short time, all production ceases in November, marking the full exit of this legendary hatchback from Ford’s European lineup.
Order books for the Focus ST had closed months prior, signaling the inevitable. Its discontinuation follows the earlier demise of the Fiesta ST and the Mondeo, all casualties of shrinking profitability. In 2024, CEO Jim Farley confirmed that while these cars were well-loved, they did not generate sufficient revenue for the company (Autocar). According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA), Ford sold just 260,342 cars in the first eight months of 2025, trailing competitors like Volkswagen and Skoda.
A True Performance Hatch
The last Focus ST was not any other hatchback; it was the fulfillment of the small-car performance art at Ford. The fourth-generation model produced 276 horsepower (206 kW / 280 PS), equivalent to the punch of such cars as the Hyundai Elantra N and various other well-liked Japanese hot hatches. A turbocharged engine under the hood, coupled with anti-lag, provided instant throttle response with a highly calibrated electronic limited-slip differential and revised steering geometry, which provided it with a remarkably agile performance in its size.
Depending on the driver’s preference, it was either a 6-speed manual to maintain the traditional hot-hatch experience or the 7-speed automatic to experience a more modern feel. The final Focus ST was a bright red wagon leaving the Saarlouis factory and shared on social media through the Ford Focus ST/RS Owners Group on Facebook (Ford Authority). To fans, it was a bittersweet moment—the last evidence that one of the most popular hot hatches in Europe was at the end of the road.
The Hot Hatch Segment in Decline
The death of the Focus ST is part of a bigger problem with the European hot hatch sector, which is weakening under planned Euro 7 emissions regulations and the 2035 prohibition of new combustion engine vehicles in the EU. Losses in the recent past include the Honda Civic Type R, the Hyundai i20 N and i30 N, and the Peugeot 308 GTi. Remaining alternatives include the VW Polo GTI, Golf GTI/R, Cupra Leon, Audi S3/RS3, BMW M135i, AMG A35/A45, and Toyota GR Yaris.
Electric versions such as the VW ID.3 GTX, Abarth 500e, and Peugeot E-208 GTi are coming out, but purists realise that the golden era of affordable, gas-powered hot hatches is over.
The Saarlouis Plant and Ford’s Future
Although Focus production ends in November, the Saarlouis plant will remain operational until 2032. Around 1,000 employees will continue working as the facility transitions toward SUV production, including a rumored Focus-sized model to join the Puma and Kuga lineups.
Global Brand Executive Chair Bill Ford hinted to Autocar that Ford may eventually return to passenger cars in Europe:
“On the passenger car side, we realise we’re not as robust as we need to be… but I think you’ll be surprised – pleasantly surprised – by what’s coming.”
Reports suggest Ford could even leverage the Focus and Fiesta legacy for EV or mid-sized SUV projects in the coming years.
Legacy of the Focus ST
The Focus ST will be remembered for what it was—sharp, fun to drive, and surprisingly powerful for its size. From the ST170 all the way to the last 276-hp (206 kW / 280 PS) fourth-gen, it gave people real performance without breaking the bank.
The last red ST has gone to its new owner, but the memories stick. In garages, in chats with mates, in weekend drives—this car meant something. It wasn’t flashy, it wasn’t a supercar, but it made driving fun and proved a hot hatch could be part of everyday life. That’s what made it special, and that’s why people will remember it.
Sources: Ford Authority, Autocar, ACEA, Ford Focus ST/RS Owners Group (Facebook)
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