Ford plans to discontinue production of its iconic Fiesta in mid-2023. This A-segment model not only won over entry-level drivers and two-car families alike, but also numerous World Rally Championship rounds. Shortly after it ends production of the Fiesta, the Blue Oval will also cease to market the Fiesta’s high(er) riding IC-engined sister, the Puma, which also enjoys WRC successes, as it switches to a battery electric range.
Given the direction the motor industry has been forced into by emission legislation, such developments are no surprise and likely to be emulated by most, if not all, manufacturers of A-segment models. As batteries add enormously to the basic weight and cost of vehicles, sales are expected to plunge. An equivalent electric vehicle is expected to price 60 percent higher than fossil-fuelled equivalents that already provide slim margins of profit, adding pressure to manufacturers.
The bottom line for followers of the FIA World Rally Championship and its feeder series is that A-segment derivatives currently provide the core models for the WRC’s staircase, from Rally5 to Rally1. With the likelihood of model cut-backs in this sector, the very existence of the WRC is threatened unless the championship reinvents itself in something of a hurry.
Three manufacturers, including Toyota, Hyundai and Ford, are contractually committed to global motorsport’s governing body, the FIA, throughout the current 2022-24 formula, but what happens after that, particularly given the accelerating changes in the automotive landscapes?
In addition to the issue facing the
