Ford released some interesting details about where it sees itself going over the next few years or so, and these revelations come more as confirmations than anything else. Nonetheless, they do illuminate the Blue Oval philosophical map, giving us more insight into where their priorities lie with Jim Hackett at the helm, successor to previous CEO Mark Fields.
The SUV movement cannot be denied, indeed has all but supplanted the midsize sedan as the most popular passenger vehicle category overall. Going forward, Ford doesn’t see that trend taking a downturn.
To this end, they’ve teased (and officially confirmed) an all-new Bronco 4x4 to join its portfolio quite soon. Not only that, but this will also spawn a smaller crossover-like model, though one that looks to take a more rugged persona over the soft-roaders prevalent on today’s roads. Both will feature quite blocky shapes, surely replete with the term ‘chunky’ attributable to nearly every facet of its exterior and interior design.
We even see a spare tyre hanging off that tailgate - hopefully it’ll warrant its place there far better than the EcoSport’s take on the feature. The Bronco’s little brother (which we’re going on record predicting it’ll be called the Colt or Buck) will clearly be cut from a similar cloth, but aimed at such vehicles as the Jeep Renegade.
One more vehicle, seen here under wraps but is much closer to being in showrooms, is the Explorer ST. Following the example of the recently unveiled Edge ST, Ford Performance is (apparently) quite keen on sinking their teeth into another SUV from the line-up. In this case, it’s the fifth-generation Explorer.
Currently, in its most potent form, the Explorer is available with a 272kW twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 petrol EcoBoost motor, roughly similar to the ones used in the F-150 Raptor and GT supercar. It’s highly likely that, together with the various suspension and cosmetic enhancements that Ford Performance will adorn it with, that engine could be tuned to produce a much higher figure.
The next point that Ford surely wanted communicate clearly is how they are planning for a much wider rollout of hybrid vehicles. Nearly every major model should be expected to have some electrified variant within their range, and this includes such cars as the Mustang and F-150.
Honestly, this was an inevitable move for the company. Even by reducing the number of V8s they have in their portfolio and replacing them with turbocharged V6s aren’t enough of a measure to fully conform to the ever increasing demands of emissions regulation and fuel consumption. Things are clearly taking a turn toward electric augmentation, and its better that Ford embark upon this path now rather than later.
It’ll be interesting, though, to observe how Ford navigates the initial criticism that follows the first batch of hybrid Mustangs and green-friendly F-150s hit showrooms. Another outcome to watch for is the plausible debut of a Bronco that has a hybrid powertrain available at launch - or even a fully electrified range of Broncos.
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