Ford has discontinued the range-topping Vignale edition of its Focus hatchback, citing slow sales.
A spokesman told Autocar that the Vignale accounted for just 4.4% of Focus sales, while the rugged Active X Vignale claimed just 2.2% of sales.
The two trim levels remain on Ford's online configurator but have been removed from price lists permanently going forward.
The standard Focus range is now topped out by the ST-Line X, priced from £26,575 - £1635 less than the Vignale - and equipped with 18in matt-black alloy wheels, LED headlights, red brake calipers, heated front seats and a 12.3in digital instrument cluster.
The jacked-up Focus Active remains available without the Vignale package, with X trim now topping the line-up from £26,625.
Equipment that was standard to the Vignale is now available exclusively on an optional basis for other trim levels. Among these are a wide-view reversing camera, Windsor leather seats, adaptive LED headlights and a head-up display.
Vignale trim remains available on the Ford Fiesta supermini from £23,950, the Ford Puma crossover from £25,745 and the Ford Kuga SUV from £32,865.
It's also still available on the Mondeo saloon and estate from £32,895 but, as confirmed in recent weeks, that model will be discontinued entirely in March 2022.
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I thought it was a mistake by Ford when they adopted this trim level above Ghia, Fords, other than the faux GT weren't meant to be expensive cars, plus, what Ford considered above Ghia trim, was standard or an option on other brands and often done better than Ford.
It did seem astonishing that Ford would try and repeat a trick that had worked well 40 years earlier, as if the world had stayed frozen in a world of 3 day working weeks, flares and three channel TV. Having managed to rubbish the Ghia name to the point of extinction, they're doing the same to Vignale in double-quick time. And I say this as a committed Ford fan.
Perhaps the real question is why did Ford introduce the Vignale as it's top of the line range in the first place?. really it's seventies thinking revisted,during that most Ford sales were fleet sales and the it started with the L model for the motorway bashing rep up through GL & GXL for more senior staff and then to the Ghia for the boys at the top of the heap. So basically the company was punting the same cars differentiated by trim and engines and everyone was happy as it was a car on the firm and each trim level defined the users level in the pecking order. In those days manufactures such as BMW,Jaguar & Mercedes were true prestige vehicles and they only went to board members & company chairmen. Now with cars such as the Audi A1,BMW 1 Series & the Mercedes A class you've got vehicles that can be viewed as premium yet undecut expensive over specified versions of the Focus & Mondeo,after all what choice would most drivers want??. Possibly after this Active will be the next trim level to go,you can't fool the motoring public for ever