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The Ford Fiesta Is Poised for a Shock Electric Revival

After a brief but painful absence, Ford’s most famous supermini could be heading back to Europe—this time powered by electrons and a Franco-American alliance.

The return of the Ford Fiesta was never supposed to read like a resurrection story. And yet, just two years after Britain’s best-selling car of all time bowed out, the groundwork has been laid for a comeback that feels almost biblical in scale.

A newly announced electric-vehicle platform-sharing deal between Ford and Renault, confirmed in early December 2025, has opened the door for the Fiesta nameplate to return as soon as 2028—reimagined as a fully electric supermini aimed squarely at the heart of Europe’s B-segment.

A French Platform, an American Soul

At the core of the agreement is Renault’s AmpR Small architecture, a dedicated EV platform that already underpins the new Renault 5 and 4, the Alpine A290 hot hatch, the upcoming Nissan Micra EV and the reborn Renault Twingo due in 2026. Ford will gain access not only to this platform, but also to Renault’s battery and motor technology—crucial leverage in a segment where scale is everything and margins are tight.

Ford plans to launch two new electric models off the back of this deal. One will revive the Fiesta as a compact hatchback; the other will be a second small EV, likely with a more crossover-inspired silhouette. Crucially, these will not be rebadged Renaults. Both cars will be designed by Ford, wear unique bodywork and be engineered to feel distinctively Blue Oval in character.

If history is anything to go by, that distinction will matter.

Familiar Footprint, Sharper Edge

Sharing its underpinnings with the Renault 5 suggests the new Fiesta EV will sit in broadly the same dimensional ballpark, but expect a noticeably sharper and more dynamic design. That approach aligns neatly with Ford’s recent styling direction and with the outgoing Fiesta’s reputation as the driver’s choice among small cars.

Pricing is also likely to be competitive. The Renault 5 range spans roughly £22,000 to £30,000, placing a future Fiesta EV right in the thick of the emerging electric supermini battleground.

More important than price, however, is how it drives—and Ford is keen to underline that point.

Ford DNA, Carefully Engineered

Both the Fiesta EV and its small-SUV sibling will receive bespoke chassis tuning, with Ford taking the lead on ride, steering, handling and braking. It’s a strategy the company has already employed successfully with the Explorer and Capri EVs, which are built on Volkswagen’s MEB platform yet feel markedly different to their ID-branded cousins.

“We’re very confident that we can completely differentiate the offering,” said Jim Baumbick, president of Ford of Europe, speaking to Auto Express. “Ford will lead on the development of the design and things like the ride, steering, handling and braking to inject the uniquely Ford DNA.”

Baumbick also revealed that early designs have already been shared with dealers and key stakeholders, suggesting the project is well beyond the exploratory phase.

What Could Be Under the Skin?

Thanks to its shared architecture, the technical picture is already taking shape. The Renault 5 offers 40kWh and 52kWh battery options, with the larger pack delivering up to 252 miles of WLTP range. In its more powerful configuration, a 148bhp electric motor drives the front wheels, dispatching 0–62mph in under eight seconds.

Those figures would place a Fiesta EV firmly among the most capable electric superminis on sale—practical enough for daily use, but lively enough to honour the badge.

And then there’s the question enthusiasts are already asking.

Could the ST Badge Return?

Sharing DNA with the Alpine A290 raises an intriguing possibility: a Fiesta ST reborn for the electric age. The A290 pushes up to 217bhp through its front axle and features a heavily revised chassis, uprated brakes, tuned suspension and a wider track.

A high-performance Fiesta EV would align neatly with Ford’s renewed focus on enthusiast and halo products, from the extreme Mustang GTD to the Ranger Raptor.

“Ford is at its best when we connect with customers at an emotional level,” Baumbick said. “When we enable them to do things that they love to do.”

An electric Fiesta ST would do exactly that.

Built in France, Moving Fast

Production of both new small EVs will take place at Renault’s ElectriCity complex in northern France, underlining the deal’s focus on economies of scale and speed to market. Renault’s rapid development cycle—helped by a new R&D centre in China that enabled the next Twingo to be developed in under two years—has clearly caught Ford’s attention.

The first Ford vehicle born of this partnership is expected to arrive in 2028, a remarkably short timeline by industry standards.

Ford CEO Jim Farley described the agreement as “an important step” in building a leaner, future-proof European business, while Renault Group CEO François Provost hailed it as proof of the competitiveness and depth of the two companies’ partnership.

Where It Leaves the Rest of the Range

The Renault deal focuses squarely on B-segment cars, complementing Ford’s existing Puma Gen-E rather than replacing it. According to Baumbick, the new models will “augment” the Puma, not supplant it—suggesting Ford is aiming to cover more price points, potentially with a baby SUV or even a Ka-style city car based on the Twingo.

What it won’t do, however, is resurrect the Ford Focus as a Volkswagen ID.3 rival. Ford’s partnership with VW remains confined to larger C-segment EVs, and there are no plans to use Renault’s larger AmpR Medium platform for a Focus replacement.

Beyond passenger cars, the collaboration may yet expand further, with both companies having signed a letter of intent to explore joint work on light commercial vehicles—an area where Ford remains dominant.

A Small Car With Big Expectations

If it all comes together, the electric Fiesta won’t just be another EV—it will be a litmus test for Ford’s European future. Affordable, desirable small cars built at scale are notoriously difficult to make profitable, but they’re also essential to brand relevance.

For a nameplate as storied as Fiesta, a quiet fade-out was never going to feel right. An electric rebirth, shaped by French engineering and sharpened by Ford’s driving DNA, might just be the comeback story it deserves.

Source: Auto Express; Photo: AVARVARII

News

Alpine’s Electric A110: The Soul of a Sports Car, Rewired for 2026

2026 is shaping up to be a defining year for Alpine. The A110—the lightweight, mid-engined sports car that resurrected the brand and re-established its credibility with enthusiasts—is going electric. For purists, that sentence alone is enough to raise eyebrows. For Alpine, however, it’s the boldest statement yet in its ambition to become France’s answer to Porsche.

In a recent teaser outlining the brand’s roadmap to 2026, Alpine CEO Philippe Krief struck a confident tone. “With the next generation we will evolve, but keep the original DNA and spirit,” he said. “The result is just fantastic.” Krief also hinted that within the first six months of 2026, Alpine will begin revealing what he describes as “really exciting news” surrounding the electric A110’s arrival.

That confidence isn’t empty rhetoric. Krief—formerly Ferrari’s director of engineering—and ex-Renault Group CEO Luca de Meo have already shared substantial technical detail about the car with Auto Express, painting a picture of an EV developed with genuine sports car intent rather than compliance-led electrification.

The new A110 will sit on a dedicated electric sports car platform and targets a kerb weight of around 1,450kg. In the context of modern EVs, that figure is striking—and it puts the Alpine in the same ballpark as a Porsche Cayman GT4 RS. Range is expected to exceed 350 miles, while propulsion will come from two in-wheel motors. Krief is coy on power figures, but insists there will be “more than enough power—I can guarantee it.”

More intriguing is how far Alpine plans to push the A110 lineage. The electric coupe will form the foundation of a broader family, with a soft-top A110 Spyder already confirmed and an all-wheel-drive variant under consideration. The latter could borrow technology from the tri-motor setup being developed for the upcoming A390 electric SUV, signalling that Alpine sees performance EVs as modular, scalable products rather than one-off halo cars.

This strategy is central to Renault Group’s wider plan for Alpine. With factory-backed programmes in Formula One and the World Endurance Championship, the brand has serious racing credibility. The challenge now is translating that pedigree into a sustainable, seven-model premium line-up that can compete at the cutting edge of performance and technology. The A110 is the emotional and technical cornerstone of that vision—but its success depends on profitability elsewhere, particularly from higher-volume models like the low-slung A390 SUV.

Before departing Renault, Luca de Meo made no secret of his ambitions. “[The A110] is our iconic product, the Porsche 911 of Alpine,” he said. The historical symmetry is hard to ignore: the original A110 debuted in 1963, the same year Porsche launched the 911. Six decades on, Alpine is once again positioning its sports car as a long-term icon—this time in an electric era.

Full details of the electric A110 are expected to be confirmed in the first half of 2026, with a complete unveiling likely later in the year, potentially at the Paris Motor Show in October. Sales should begin in early 2027, followed by the A110 Spyder in 2028. Shortly after, Alpine plans to expand the platform further with the A310—a larger 2+2 coupe and convertible aimed squarely at the Porsche 911 itself.

For Alpine, electrification isn’t about abandoning character; it’s about redefining it. If the company delivers on its promises, the electric A110 could prove that “soul” isn’t tied to cylinders or fuel—but to intent, engineering and how a car makes you feel when the road opens up ahead.

Source: Alpine

News

Nissan Targets 150,000 Annual NISMO Sales as Performance Strategy Accelerates

Nissan is sharpening its performance-focused identity, and it’s doing so with a familiar yet increasingly strategic playbook: motorsport credibility, emotionally charged road cars, and a growing reverence for its own history. Through Nissan Motor Co. and Nissan Motorsports & Customization (NMC), the brand has outlined a multi-pronged initiative designed to strengthen what it calls its “heartbeat models” — cars that exist not just to sell, but to define Nissan’s DNA.

At the core of this strategy is a renewed emphasis on performance as a brand language, one that flows seamlessly from racetrack to road.

From Track to Road — and Back Again

Nissan’s long-standing philosophy of “road to track, track to road” remains central. The company continues to use elite racing platforms such as Super GT and Formula E as rolling laboratories, extracting both technological know-how and intangible driving spirit to feed its production vehicles. It’s not just about lap times; it’s about translating racing intuition into sharper responses, smarter software, and more engaging cars.

Beyond its current commitments, Nissan plans to broaden its motorsport footprint, maintaining its presence in series like Super Taikyu while exploring new racing formats. From fiscal year 2026 onward, prototype race vehicles will play a bigger role, accelerating development in both hardware and software — advances that are expected to cascade directly into future NISMO road cars.

NISMO Goes Global — and Bigger

If motorsport is the proving ground, NISMO is the public face of Nissan’s performance ambitions. Building on recent success, Nissan plans to double its global NISMO lineup from five models to ten, while significantly expanding market availability. This isn’t a niche exercise anymore.

By 2028, Nissan aims to increase annual NISMO shipments from around 100,000 units to 150,000, with overseas markets accounting for as much as 60 percent of sales, up from roughly 40 percent today. To get there, Nissan is open to collaborations with external partners — a notable shift that suggests flexibility in how future NISMO products are conceived, engineered, and possibly even branded.

The goal is clear: more emotion at the wheel, delivered to a broader audience, without diluting the performance ethos that made NISMO matter in the first place.

Heritage as a Business — and a Statement

Perhaps the most telling move, however, is Nissan’s growing focus on heritage and restoration. With the global auto restoration market projected to more than double from roughly 500 billion yen today to over 1.2 trillion yen by 2032, NMC sees both commercial opportunity and cultural responsibility.

The initial focus will be on some of Nissan’s most revered icons: the Skyline GT-R R32, R33, and R34. Restoration, restomod programs, and genuine parts sales will form the backbone of this effort, with additional vehicles and regions to follow. It’s a calculated way of monetizing nostalgia while reinforcing Nissan’s performance legacy for new generations.

A Performance Mindset Beyond NISMO

“NISMO continues to elevate the excitement and innovation of Nissan vehicles,” said Yutaka Sanada, President and CEO of NMC. “Moving forward, we aim to infuse our passion and driven excitement into Nissan’s other product lines.”

That statement may be the most important takeaway. This isn’t just about faster cars or louder badges. It’s about repositioning Nissan as a brand that leads with feeling — supported by motorsport authenticity, expanded customization, and a deep respect for its past.

In an era where differentiation is increasingly difficult, Nissan is betting that emotion, when backed by engineering and heritage, can still be a powerful competitive advantage.

Source: Nissan