Look at Ford Europe‘s showroom today, and it feels more like a ghost town of vanished hot hatches than a performance powerhouse. The legendary Focus is dead, leaving only the iconic, gas-gulping Mustang import and the crossover-shaped Puma ST to carry the entire blue-oval enthusiast torch on the continent. In fact, the poor standard Puma is practically single-handedly dragging Ford’s European sales figures out of the ditch.
Just as we were preparing to write the final obituary for affordable, fun American cars in Europe, Detroit decided it was time for an unexpected, high-voltage plot twist that leans heavily on some foreign intervention.
Ford Europe is currently in the middle of a massive, high-stakes identity crisis, scrambling to accelerate its transition to electric vehicles with new models designed specifically for a highly skeptical European market. Instead of going it alone, however, Ford has struck a brand-new strategic partnership with, of all companies, Renault.
This unexpected alliance is set to birth two new battery-powered models: a tight city car built on the bones of the upcoming Renault 5 E-Tech and a high-riding crossover equivalent to the Puma that will likely share its architecture with the new Renault 4 E-Tech.
Meanwhile, the popular Kuga and the ghost of the Focus will soon be replaced by two brand-new SUVs. But do not look for pure battery power there just yet; Ford is hedging its bets with hybrid powertrains, unless they opt for the trendy alternative of EREV, extended-range electric vehicle technology, to keep buyers from panicking about charging stations.
Yet, amidst this sea of sensible, practical crossovers, Ford insists it has not completely forgotten about the theater of driving. Christian Weingartner, Ford Europe’s product director, recently confessed to the British media outlet Auto Express that while no official naming decisions have been finalized, performance vehicles are absolutely mandatory for the brand’s survival. To be authentic and credible, Ford needs speed, hinting strongly at a potential return of the coveted RS badge.
Naturally, the first vehicle designated to salvage this corporate pride is the future electric Fiesta. Rumor has it this hot hatch could borrow the high-output platform of the French Alpine A290, pushing the little blue oval past the 200-horsepower mark. If executed correctly, this Franco-American mashup will thrust Ford right into a brutal electric GTI street fight against the Volkswagen ID. Polo GTI, the Cupra Raval VZ, and the Peugeot E-208 GTI.
