New electric Ford Fiesta on the way as part of Renault tie-up
Ford has confirmed that it will use the AmpR underpinnings from Renault’s range of multi-award-winning EVs for its two upcoming “affordable” all-electric cars.
The Blue Oval has confirmed that one of these will replace the recently-culled Fiesta, suggesting that it will ride on the AmpR small platform borrowed from the Renault 5 when it arrives in 2028.
Ford has not said where the second car will fit into its new electric line-up. However, speculation suggests it could borrow the AmpR medium platform from the Mégane and Scenic, hinting at an all-electric Focus. Further conjecture has fuelled speculation that the AmpR small platform, also used for the Renault 4, could be used for a Ford Puma Gen-E replacement. Neither Ford nor Renault has revealed any further official information about this vehicle.
Like the R5, Ford’s electric Fiesta will be built at Renault’s dedicated EV factory in Douai, France. Unlike the new Nissan Micra, which is largely a rebadged Renault 5 thanks to Renault’s ‘Alliance’ agreement with Nissan, Ford insists it will be designed entirely in-house with “feature distinctive driving dynamics” and “authentic Ford-brand DNA and intuitive experiences.”
Nonetheless, it would make sense for Renault to share most of its hardware with Ford, pointing to a front-mounted motor producing from 121bhp to 215bhp, and a choice of either a 40kWh or 52kWh battery. By 2028, Renault has said it will use a cheaper lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery in its EVs instead of its existing nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) setup.
Upon arrival, the electric Ford Fiesta could – like its R5 and Micra siblings – be priced from around £22,000. It will also be the first time since 2023, when it killed off the Fiesta, that Ford has had a B-segment car.
The decision to usher in the two new EVs is down to the American firm’s flagging fortunes in Europe. From a record market share high of 12%, Ford’s fortunes have collapsed to just 4%. Sales of its all-electric Capri and Explorer have been so poor that Ford has been forced to cut up to 1,000 jobs at its Cologne plant, where both cars are built.
On the back of the tie-up with Renault, Ford CEO Jim Farley said: “The strategic partnership with Renault Group marks an important step for Ford and supports our strategy to build a highly efficient and fit-for-the-future business in Europe. We will combine Renault Group’s industrial scale and EV assets with Ford’s iconic design and driving dynamics to create vehicles that are fun, capable and distinctly Ford in spirit.”
François Provost, his opposite number at the Renault Group, described it as “the strength of our partnership know-how and competitiveness in Europe.”
In addition to its new tie-up with Ford, Renault has a platform supply deal Mitsubishi as part of the Alliance agreement. This means that the troubled Japanese brand’s upcoming all-electric Eclipse Cross will be based on the new Scenic. Upon arrival in summer 2026, the new Eclipse Cross will mark the first time since 2021 that an all-new Mitsubishi model has gone on sale in the UK.
