Ford to Launch New Focus-Sized SUV in 2027 in Europe

• Ford will launch a Focus-sized SUV in 2027 with hybrid and electric options available.

• The crossover targets affordability, filling a key gap between Puma and Explorer in Europe.

• Built on C2 platform, the SUV aligns with Ford’s revised multi-energy European strategy.

Ford will introduce a new mid-sized (compact for us) crossover in 2027. This vehicle will replace the Focus, still offered on the Old Continent, as part of the automaker’s efforts to regain market share. The new model, which will be built at the company’s Valencia factory in Spain, will be offered with a range of petrol-hybrid and electric powertrains.

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The upcoming SUV will be positioned alongside the Kuga but built on the same C2 platform used by the outgoing Focus, however, still underpinning the Bronco Sport and Maverick. As we know, the Escape, our Kuga, along with the Lincoln Corsair will be pulled from the North American market. This fact and the C2 platform has us thinking that the new vehicles could find its way into North America via Mexico.

In the meantime, this launch is significant for Ford in Europe. Following the end of Fiesta production in 2023 and the planned discontinuation of the Focus in November 2025, the company’s European line-up has grown increasingly expensive. The Puma currently serves as Ford’s lowest-priced model in the region. Here, once the Escape is gone, the Maverick will be the least expensive model at $35,000 before fees.

Ford plans to return to a mass-market position by introducing more affordable vehicles while meeting regulatory requirements for electrification. Executive Chairman Bill Ford recently acknowledged that earlier targets for full EV conversion by 2030 had proved overly optimistic. “What went wrong is that the regulators got out ahead of the customers. That’s never a good situation,” he said in an interview with Autocar.

The new SUV will play a key role in Ford’s effort to grow its electrified vehicle sales mix in the UK and EU. While the model will initially offer combustion-based powertrains, it is expected to include a pure-electric variant as part of Ford’s strategy to meet 2035 zero-emissions targets. This is a perfect recipe for the North American market.

Ford has yet to announce a name for the upcoming vehicle, although it has recently filed trademarks for names including Fuze, Hive, and Mythic in Europe. The Focus name remains a potential option, given the model’s role in the brand’s heritage.

Pricing is expected to begin in the mid-£30,000s, filling the gap between the £26,000 electric Puma Gen-E and the £40,000 Explorer ($49,000, $56,000 and $75,000 CDN respectively). The vehicle is designed to compete with mainstream compact SUVs, such as the Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage, and Hyundai Tucson. In Canada, it would need to be priced below the $35,000 mark.

Distinctive design and dynamics are expected to be key differentiators, aligning with Ford’s American-influenced styling and focus on engaging handling. The vehicle’s development is also linked to Ford’s global EV transition strategy, which includes a new Universal EV Platform (UEVP) for affordable electric vehicles to be launched first in the US in 2027. While these vehicles will be built in Kentucky, smaller models intended for Europe will likely be produced locally to meet cost and market demands.

Ford has confirmed the new model will be a multi-energy vehicle, but has not provided full details on the powertrain line-up. Hybrid, PHEV, and potentially range-extender variants are likely, as the brand responds to continued demand for combustion options alongside growing EV interest.

In Europe, the SUV is not expected to replace the Kuga and will instead serve a complementary role in the brand’s expanding crossover portfolio. In the U.S. and Canada, Ford is in desperate need to replace the Escape.