Ford Australia axes its ST hot hatch line-up
Ford Fiesta ST and Focus ST will no longer be sold in Australia, marking the end of the blue oval hot hatch locally.
Ford Australia has announced that it will no longer sell any hot hatches in Australia, following years of removing different Fiesta and Focus variants. However, it is the last two variants available – the Fiesta ST and Focus ST – that will be the final nail in the coffin for Ford’s small car offering here.
It leaves Ford Australia with SUVs, utes, and commercial vehicles on sale, while it will also continue to offer the Mustang. The Ford Ranger is one of Australia’s most popular models on sale regularly and will be bolstered by the new generation line-up, including a new Ranger Raptor performance ute.
“The Ford Mustang remains the country’s most popular sports car, and we’re preparing for the launch of the Next-Generation Ranger Raptor which sets a new performance benchmark for dual-cab utes in Australia,” said Andrew Birkic, President and CEO, Ford Australia.
Unfortunately, Ford, which has a rich heritage of hot hatches, can not say the same about its small car duo. “Both the Focus ST and Fiesta ST have been segment-defining hot hatches for Ford Australia and have put smiles on the faces of enthusiasts across the country, and we want to thank those fans for their passion,” said Birkic.
“But with semi-conductor-related supply shortages and our focus on emerging areas of growth, we’ve made the difficult decision to call time on these iconic hot hatches in Australia. We look forward to sharing more about the next era of our performance vehicle line-up soon,” he said.
That said, Ford Australia has secured around 40 Focus STs, although says buyers will need to be quick to secure one.
Ford Focus ST, ST X and Fiesta ST owners will continue to be supported by Ford Australia with access to spare parts and maintenance.