AUTONEWS

Fiesta VW: Ford Fiesta to resurface in Europe with Volkswagen's MEB modular platform

The current Ford Fiesta's days are numbered, but that doesn't mean the name will die so easily, as sources say the American automaker and German manufacturer Volkswagen have formed a "very successful" venture.

The information comes from British website Auto Express, which says that Ford wants to expand the range of electric cars based on Volkswagen's MEB modular platform in Europe. The magazine quotes Martin Sander, Volkswagen's head of sales and marketing, as saying that the partnership with Ford is "very, very, very successful" and that he "doesn't want to rule out future opportunities to share technology again.

A former Ford Europe employee, Sander suggests that other Ford products could exist based on the MEB and, in this case, the first of them would be the Fiesta Electric.

However, the above case would not be related to the standard MEB that underpins the Explorer and Capri models, but the MEB-Entry base, the same one that will underpin Volkswagen's ID.1 and ID.2 models.

As is known, this variant of VW's modular platform has a front electric motor and a simpler and cheaper torsion beam rear suspension.

If we think of a smart Ford Europe portfolio with the MEB-Entry, we could contemplate not only a New Fiesta, but also a New Ka, this one based on VW's version of the ID.1.

To go further, although Volkswagen has not said so, the next generation of the Caddy based on the MEB-Entry could also support the next Tourneo Connect.

An expansion could also be in order for the next Puma and perhaps a return of the EcoSport as a compact electric SUV to match its aforementioned sibling.

Ford declined to comment, but said it is “confident in its ability to compete in the right segments.”

With new low-cost electric car projects on hold in the U.S., the partnership with VW could be a lifesaver for Ford.

Mundoquatrorodas