Ford Motor Norway has decided to cut out the car models S-Max and Explorer. This means that the cars will still be produced, but that the Norwegian importer will not take them into the country for sale.
The S-Max has been on the Norwegian market for about 15 years – for over ten of them, the multi-purpose car has been extremely popular with families with children. Here, Ford offered smart solutions and seven seats, as well as a car that was both controllable and comfortable.
Sales have mostly been around 1000 copies a year. Sales peaked in 2016, when the entire 1565 S-Max was sold in Norway. The sister model Almost identical Galaxy has been the van alibi of the two, with less focus on driving characteristics.
END: The multi-purpose vehicle Ford S-Max was the best-selling in its segment in Norway earlier in the 2010s. But now it’s over and out in Norway. Photo: Ford
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END: Ford Galaxy also disappears from the Norwegian market. Photo: Ford
The electric cars. Up to and including September, no more than 12 new Ford S-Maxs have actually been sold in Norway this year.
– In Norway, most things are now about electrification, electric cars and rechargeable hybrids. In addition, we see that more and more customers are choosing SUVs and crossovers. So far this year, these make up almost 95 percent of Ford’s car sales, explains information director Anne Sønsteby in Ford Motor Norway to Din Side.
– We must take this into account when we prioritize which cars we should take in and sell. The world, and our product portfolio, must be constantly evolving in the large-scale electrification investment we are now in the middle of. Only in this way can we ensure that we are sustainable and have the models that customers want and that meet their needs – also in the years to come, she continues.
ELECTRIC SCREENING: Norwegians want electric powertrains and SUVs is the reason why Ford Motor Norway chooses to cut the S-Max and Galaxy. The Ford Mustang Mach-E ticks off in both boxes. Photo: Øystein B. Fossum view more
Customers choose otherwise
Nowadays, it’s mostly about Mustang Mach-E in this country. The electric SUV is one of the most popular cars in Norway this year. The information director also adds that another model in the portfolio, Ford Explorer, has brought in a good number of customers who would previously have chosen the S-Max and Galaxy.
– As this is a rechargeable hybrid, it comes favorably through the Norwegian tax system. It is also a seven-seater with lots of space, four-wheel drive, all the latest technology and it can tow a trailer of 2.5 tons. In sum, it will be a package that many Norwegians want, Sønsteby explains.
