The Mondeo was once Ford’s flagship in Europe, but growing preferences for SUVs and crossovers mean that the sedan will be axed from 2022.
Last year, in a not-so-surprising move, Ford ceased production of all of its cars in the United States, except the Mustang. The Fusion family sedan (previously known as the Ford Contour) was also discontinued, although its European sibling Mondeo continued to sell.
However, the Mondeo will not enjoy being alive in the European market for long, as Ford has announced it would terminate production b the end of 2022. The Mondeo will be gone permanently with no direct replacement.
Ford introduced the Mondeo as its first ‘global car’ in 1993 as a replacement for the Sierra. In its early years, the sedan enjoyed a prominent spot in Ford’s global family, with approximately five million units sold in Europe to date. However, due to SUVs’ ever-growing popularity and crossovers in Europe, its market share dropped dramatically over the years.
Ford cited “Growing change in consumer preferences” as the primary reason for discontinuing the Mondeo, and there is no denying that it is justified. SUVs and crossovers accounted for 39% of total passenger vehicle sales in 2020, reflecting an 8% rise year on year, showing that European customers prefer high-riding, rugged-looking vehicles over sedans and wagons. Besides, the company is revolutionizing its passenger vehicle portfolio to keep up with the race of electrification, and the Mondeo does not fit in that SUV-centric, all-electric future.
With the Mondeo being gone for good, Ford’s European car range will be reduced to two models: The Fiesta and the Focus hatchbacks, both recently receiving a mild-hybrid treatment. Meanwhile, the company’s Valencia factory that produced Mondeo will be repurposed to develop battery packs and the 2.5-liter Duratec hybrid engine by late 2022, contributing to its electrifying goal the entire passenger vehicle range by 2030.
However, Ford will not demolish the sedan segment completely as the Mondeo, alongside the Focus, Escort, and Taurus, will continue to sell in China, which still sees a high demand for wagons and sedans.
