Production of the Ford B-Max and Ford C-Max MPVs will end as part of the marque's wide-reaching strategy to redesign its European business in an effort to return to profitability.
The two people carriers, long rumoured for the chop after years of slow sales across the continent, will be built until the end of June at Ford’s factory in Saarlouis, Germany. There will be a switch to a two-shift operating pattern, with night shift production ended.
Ford claims the measures have been approved “to create a sustainably profitable business in Germany and Europe”. The Saarlouis plant will continue to produce the Ford Focus, with “higher-margin variants” such as the Ford Focus Active and Ford Focus ST to be prioritised in order to improve margins.
Earlier this month, Ford announced job losses as part of its cost-cutting programme in the UK and Germany and an as-yet-undetailed number in the UK while it attempts to restructure its European business and return to financial health.
Further job cuts, possible plant closures and model line trimmings are expected to follow. The American manufacturer employs 53,000 people across Europe, including 12,000 in the UK.
Sales of the C-Max and seven-seat Ford Grand C-Max have been slowing as customers switch to SUVs such as the Ford Kuga, with just 53,000 sold in Europe last year – a 21% drop on 2017.
Read more:
New Ford Kuga SUV to be revealed next week
Join the debate
Add your comment
A pity as they were good cars.
These were both really good cars. The Dad had a C-Max in titanium spec and it was really nice. It was just like a slightly taller Focus but it drove just as good as the Focus and had a very stylish dash too. Unfortunatly the Ford dealers in the Country are crap so he changed to a Kia as they are local and have a great warrenty as well as been very reliable and they are quite good if a bit boring espicilly the dash. Is on his second Kia now and while they might not drive as good as the Ford they are good cars just a little boring inside thats all.
Blame Brexit.
Going back to a two-shift system ? Ending the night-shift ? It's all due to the uncertainty caused by Brexit !!!
Oh hold on, this is in Germany - an EU memberstate and the remoaners tell us that whenever such things happen in the UK it's nothing to do with globalization.
I fear the remoaners will be as quiet about this story as they were about the thousand odd jobs that recently disappeaered at the BMW plant in Holland. They'll make no comment on the 5000 Ford jobs to go in Germany but if Ford announces any such losses in the UK, you know exactly what Mr Hawes and his merry men will cry - BREXIT !
scotty5 wrote:
Brexit is not really about job figures. Economic arguments merely give a veneer of rationality to what appeals to the base emotions. And Brexit politicians know that. By using noble sounding terms like sovereignty they hope the electorate would go along with unexamined loyalty and bypass considered reflection.
This whole category of cars
This whole category of cars seems to be vanishing. Renault tried to make the Scenic more MPV like, but I'm struggling to remember the last one I saw
Mikey C wrote:
Not true. The Far East is in love with that hideous Toyota Alphard / Vellfire! Its huge grille and chrome laden ornamentation are totally alien to European taste. But then I eagerly await VW's Bulli (or whatever it's going to be called), a rationally & beautifully designed MPV, so much better than the V class.
abkq wrote:
So true, you forgot the Nissan Elgrande too.. Sat in ine Alphard before.. so comfortable and very luxurious especially the higher spec models....
Mikey C wrote:
?? The Scenic always was and remains a MPV.