Ford is officially re-entering the affordable small-car arena it voluntarily abandoned—and it’s doing so with help from an unexpected ally. In a move that could reshape its entire European strategy, Ford has struck a landmark deal with Renault to share the French firm’s Ampr EV platform. The partnership will spawn at least two new Ford-badged electric cars starting in 2028, one of which is all but confirmed as the long-awaited successor to the Fiesta.
This isn’t a badge-swap arrangement. Ford insists the upcoming models will be “distinct Ford-branded electric vehicles”, designed by Ford teams, engineered to drive like Fords, and positioned as true alternatives—not clones—to Renault’s reborn 5 and 4.
A New Fiesta—Built in France
The first EV out of this new collaboration arrives in early 2028. It will share its core architecture with the Renault 5 and even roll off the same lines at Renault’s ElectriCity complex in Douai. But the fundamentals—steering feel, driving character, interior UX—are being developed in-house by Ford.
Under the skin, expect the familiar Ampr hardware:
- Front-mounted motor making 121–215 hp, depending on trim
- 40 or 52 kWh battery options, converted to more affordable LFP chemistry by the time Ford’s version lands
- A footprint and mission that squarely place it in the void left by the Fiesta’s 2023 retirement
For a company that once depended on the Fiesta as its European workhorse for nearly half a century, this is nothing short of a comeback storyline.
A Second Model—Likely a Baby Crossover
Model No. 2? A small electric crossover based on the Renault 4. Think of it as a potential successor—or spiritual successor—to the upcoming Puma Gen-E. Timing remains unclear, but development is underway.
Ford Needs These Cars—Badly
If the Renault partnership seems unusually cozy for Ford, that’s because the company is facing real pressure in Europe.
Market share has cratered from 12% to under 4%.
Sales of the Capri and Explorer EVs have been so sluggish that Ford cut up to 1000 jobs at its Cologne plant and reduced the site to a single shift.
And with Focus production ending last month, Ford’s passenger-car lineup in Europe is now effectively a collection of Transit-derived SUVs and MPVs—none of them cheap.
In short: Ford has marched itself upmarket, and the customers didn’t follow.
Bringing back a Fiesta-sized EV at a roughly Renault-5-like price tag (around £22k) is Ford’s most realistic path back to mainstream relevance—and a far more cost-effective one than developing a clean-sheet small EV from scratch.
Why Not Volkswagen?
Interestingly, Volkswagen’s smaller MEB Entry platform was long rumored to be Ford’s way back into the affordable supermini segment. But cost—and speed—won out. Renault’s Ampr platform is cheaper, production-ready, and already under two of Europe’s most eagerly awaited small EVs.
Ford still partners with VW on bigger EVs (Explorer, Capri) as well as commercial vehicles. The Renault deal will extend to vans too, though both companies stress this is still “exploratory.”
Farley and Provost: United by Necessity
Ford CEO Jim Farley calls the Renault agreement “an important step” toward making Ford’s European division leaner, more competitive, and future-proof. Renault Group’s François Provost describes the partnership as a showcase of “competitiveness in Europe.”
Both executives know what’s at stake. Europe’s EV adoption has slowed dramatically, Chinese imports are flooding the budget end of the market, and the EU is considering pushing its internal-combustion ban from 2035 to 2040.
Farley has been especially vocal. In a recent op-ed, he argued Europe’s decarbonization policies are “out of step with market reality,” pointing out the wide gap between mandated EV sales (25%) and the real number (16%). He also criticized the UK’s upcoming pay-per-mile EV tax as the regulatory equivalent of “one foot on the gas, one on the brake.”
His message was clear: without a regulatory “reset,” Europe risks losing its manufacturing base altogether.
Ford returning to the supermini class isn’t nostalgia—it’s survival strategy. The Renault-based Fiesta successor and its crossover sibling won’t just fill holes in Ford’s lineup; they could define Ford’s viability in Europe for the next decade.
Affordable EVs with real Ford personality? That’s the promise.
An industrial blueprint that finally stops the bleeding? That’s the hope.
And if Ford pulls off a proper electric Fiesta—one that drives like a Ford should—it might just rebuild the European loyalty the brand has spent the last five years eroding.
Source: Autocar
