Ford plans a roughly US$25,000 (CDN$35,000) compact utility vehicle with gasoline and hybrid powertrains for 2029.
The new crossover would become Ford’s least expensive model, positioned below the Maverick pickup.
Product plans point to Ford’s Hermosillo, Mexico, factory as the crossover’s potential production site.
Ford is preparing a roughly US$25,000 (CDN$35,000) compact utility vehicle in order to restore a lower-priced entry point to its North American lineup and capitalize on demand for hybrids.
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Executives showed dealers early versions of the planned crossover during a private meeting in Las Vegas in early August. The vehicle is expected to reach the market in 2029 with both gasoline and hybrid powertrains.
A starting price near US$25,000 would make the crossover Ford’s least expensive vehicle. It would sit below the Maverick pickup, which starts around US$29,000 (CDN$35,600 before fees), and the Fathom electric pickup scheduled to arrive in 2027 with a price around US$30,000 (CDN$41,800)
The project also gives Ford an opportunity to once again compete at the affordable end of the utility market after discontinuing the entry-level Escape. At the same time, hybrid vehicles have become an increasingly important part of the industry’s electrification strategy, as an alternative for buyers who are not ready to go fully electric.
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Dealers were shown the future crossover through video and an early prototype. Attendees characterized its proportions as wide and boxy, with one comparing its general appearance to the original-generation Escape. Ford executives cautioned that the design was preliminary and intended mainly to demonstrate the vehicle’s approximate dimensions.
Ford did not disclose a model name or production location during the dealer meeting. However, people familiar with the automaker’s product plans said a hybrid crossover is scheduled to enter production in 2029 at Ford’s Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico where the Bronco Sport and Maverick are assembled. Could this also lead to a hybrid version of the Bronco Sport?
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Another such product appeared at the Las Vegas gathering. Ford presented dealers with an early four-door Mustang prototype, a vehicle previously identified to dealers as the Mach-4. Executives indicated that it would start below $40,000 and accelerate from zero to 96 km/h in less than four seconds.
Dealers also examined the Fathom, Ford’s first model based on its Universal EV platform. Ford told attendees that the architecture is eventually expected to underpin five vehicles.
Source: Automotive News
