Ford would probably "focus"
Ford would probably "focus" on building pick-ups with no other coming close and they will pray for oil prices to stay low. The only two that I will miss are the Focus RS and the Fiesta ST. Hyundai has cars in every other category that are better.
The enthusiast car market talks more then it puts the money down in cars. Many of the car enthusiasts look into the future to buy cars, even long into the future. It might be that enthusiast's cars are expensive. It might be that cars that bring a great experience are getting old and the very up to date with the intrusive tech are lacking the transfer of the great experiences.
I love driving my 2018 STI. Love the rumble, love the driving experience. To improve it and be successful Subaru needs to keep the appeal. In my case, if they give up the rumble they would do what Porsche did to the Boxter's last generation. I would rather have the good sounding one. In fact, I had the more technologically advanced engine in my 2015 WRX, and besides the weight, fuel efficiency and highway ride, there is nothing to be missed from the FA-20. I would think to upgrade my car for an STI that sound as good as the current one and where I would think that the driving experience got better. Un STI that understeers less, that is more likely to make it oversteer if desired, that would have adaptive dampers, where the engine sound can be lowered if desired, like many other companies. For the lots of people who look into modifying it afterward, engines that resist being modified. I don't even care that much for the infotainment, which is terrible. The blue ocean for Subaru's STI is the boxer rumble / manual transmission / hydraulic steering / great all-wheel drive system combination. Yes, we users love the products. Ford didn't really try to sell their Focus RSs, which are good vehicles, they tried to sell the Focus RS over MSRP. If they wanted to make a good landing with the car enthusiasts, they shouldn't have marketed only for rich people. The Mustang sells well on the models that are not sold like that. How many GT 350R do people see on the streets? Subaru's WRX STI have interiors that are always catching up with the competition, infotainments that are bad. However, they didn't need to be faster than the EVOs, the RSs or Type-Rs, Golf Rs to be the car of the segment that you get to see more on the streets. The driving experience made the difference.
I hope that Subaru doesn't give up on cars like Ford did. SUVs transformed the car industry, yes. Even Lamborghini plans to double their production with one. And really, what comes to your mind when you think of Lamborghini? Porsche probably sells more SUVs than cars, but what is Porsche in your mind? Cars, even in small numbers are important for those who enjoy driving.
Subaru, grab the glove. Enthusiast cars can drive the mystique of a brand.