It’s haere rā for the Fiesta ST hatchback after Ford New Zealand has just announced it will depart the local line-up by the end of the year.

Instead, the company will focus on areas of growing customer demand such as SUVs, commercial vehicles, and electrification including the Mach-E arriving in 2023.

“The Fiesta ST has been a segment-defining hot hatch for New Zealand and has put smiles on the faces of enthusiasts across the country, and we want to thank those fans for their passion,” said Simon Rutherford, Managing Director, Ford New Zealand.

“But with semi-conductor-related supply shortages and our focus on emerging areas of growth, we’ve made the difficult decision to call time on the iconic hot hatch. We look forward to sharing more about the next era of our performance vehicle line-up soon,” said Rutherford.

Existing customer orders for the Fiesta ST will be supported and Ford New Zealand will continue to offer great options for performance enthusiasts.

“The Ford Mustang remains the country’s most popular sports car, and we’re preparing for the launch of the Next-Generation Ranger Raptor which sets a new performance benchmark for dual-cab utes in New Zealand,” said Rutherford.

Ford Fiesta ST owners will continue to be supported by Ford New Zealand with access to spare parts and maintenance, says the brand.