Back in 2019-2020, Ford announced a revision of its product strategy in Europe and North America. The company essentially sacrificed its light passenger cars, like the Taurus, in favor of higher-margin SUVs and trucks. Six years later, it's wondering if it's made a mistake.
Speaking with Automotive News, Ford CEO Jim Farley confided that the company didn’t just let go of the cheap sedan market – it dropped it when it could no longer compete with superior offerings from Kia, Hyundai and Toyota. Hatchbacks, such as the Focus and the Fiesta, fell victim of the same issue, now correctly identified as competition.
Although official data may take time to arrive, analysts predict that Ford will lose sales in 2026 after three years of consecutive growth. As prices keep rising worldwide and customers are increasingly choosing the cheapest cars on the market, niche offerings like the Ford Maverick and Chevrolet Trax outperform the more expensive traditional ones.
According to the publication, Farley believes the automaker can buckle the trend by bringing sedans back to North America. It may be too early to talk availability and pricing, but we suppose it won’t hurt to see the discontinued Taurus (see video) back in the ranks. Right now, Middle East remains the only market where Ford offers a model called Taurus, and it’s a rebadged Ford Mondeo for China.
