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Ford Confirms It's Considering "Allroad" Models as Small as the Fiesta

This is a story I have been following for a really long time. Back in the days of the previous-generation Focus, Ford showed interest in making a rough version of the car by introducing a limited edition X-Road model based on the wagon body. However, the economic crisis that quickly followed meant that this wasn't a time to test new ideas.
Focus X-Road 1 photo
Photo: Ford
The current-generation Focus is about to expire. Although it offered great deal more diversity than its predecessor, it still hasn't gotten around to turning into a soft-roader, something that will happen next time.

In early 2015, the German media was reporting about the next Focus arriving in 2018 with coupe, allroad and plug-in hybrid versions. Even AWD was being considered. None of that was ever confirmed until today when Ford of Europe COO Barb Samardzich has told Automotive News that the company is considering rugged transformations of several models.

“We see a big growth area in vehicles that are a bit rugged. They are not SUVs but they still have a more active look to them,” she told Automotive News Europe.

What's more, she said the off-road treatment could be applied to any type of vehicle, meaning Ford is looking into one model based on the Mondeo or Focus sedan to rival Volvo's S60 Cross Country. At the bottom end of the spectrum, Ford is looking into a rough version of something as small as the Fiesta. Here, the Blue Oval automaker will be fighting the cheap Dacia Sandero Stepway, the VW Polo Cross, and the Fabia Scoutline.

Of course, Ford has never built such a vehicle before, so we don't know what they will be called or how they will compete against the German rivals. “Put some black cladding in the right places, a roof-rack and you could get it looking a lot more active,” says the COO. However, it's not that simple, as the solid reputation of the Audi A4 allroad or the Skoda Octavia Scout isn't based on thin air and black plastic.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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