The next six to eight months are critical for the Ford brand.
That’s when four high-profile products — the Mustang Mach-E and Bronco Sport crossovers, F-150 pickup and Bronco SUV — are expected to begin production. The automaker is relying on these vehicles, three of which are new to the lineup, to boost profits and conquest buyers in a challenging time for the industry. After bungling the redesigned Explorer crossover launch last year, Ford has no room for error.
After those products arrive, the brand will continue expanding its pickup and utility offerings after ending production of sedans.
Fusion: Ford ended production of the midsize Fusion in late July, completing a plan outgoing CEO Jim Hackett announced in 2018 to eliminate all North American sedans.
Mustang: The iconic pony car’s new stablemate, the Mustang Mach-E crossover, seems to get all the headlines lately, but Ford continues to invest in the original body style as well. A high-performance Mach 1 will debut next spring, and Ford will begin production on the seventh-generation Mustang in late 2022, with sales starting in early 2023. Suppliers have been told it will be an eight-year program, up from previous plans for a six-year time frame, in a sign of the automaker’s commitment to keep its last remaining U.S. car in production. As part of the redesign, the Mustang is likely to move to Ford’s CD6 platform, which underpins the Explorer and Lincoln Aviator, meaning it could have a larger silhouette.
GT: Ford and supplier Multimatic Inc. continue to crank out the $450,000 supercar. Production is expected to wrap up sometime in 2022, after a total of 1,350 GTs have been built. Still, the automaker continues to trot out special editions, including the 2021 Heritage Edition unveiled this month that pays homage to Ford’s win at the 1966 Daytona 24 Hour Continental.
EcoSport: The subcompact crossover is Ford’s lone entry-level vehicle in the U.S., and sales were down 12 percent in the first half of a pandemic-ravaged 2020. The EcoSport is due for a redesign that would go on sale in early 2023, but what goes on sale remains to be seen. Ford, which imports the EcoSport from India, could opt to fill the segment with a different vehicle.
Mustang Mach-E: It will carry the storied pony car badge, but this electric crossover is a horse of a different color. The Mach-E is the first real result of Ford’s $11.5 billion investment into electrification announced in 2018. Executives hope a legendary name will be enough to convert traditional gearheads into battery-electric buyers. To hammer home what the Mach-E is capable of, Ford has unveiled a one-off Mach-E 1400 prototype with seven motors producing up to 1,400 hp. The production crossover will have a range of 300 miles and go on sale this year. It will be offered in rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations. The Mach-E will be built in Mexico at Ford’s Cuautitlan plant, which used to make the Fiesta subcompact sedan.
Escape: Ford redesigned the Escape compact crossover last year with a more premium look in anticipation of splitting the segment with the upcoming Bronco Sport. Sales have sputtered, down 36 percent through the first half of 2020 to 84,797, putting the Escape behind the Explorer for the title of “bestselling Ford vehicle not named F-Series.” Ford added a plug-in hybrid this year and plans to freshen the Escape in 2022. A redesign is expected no sooner than late 2024.
Bronco Sport: The rugged crossover shares a platform with the Escape, but that’s about where the similarities end. Its wheelbase, ground clearance and independent front and rear suspensions are unique. It comes with four-wheel drive and a number of drive modes to help owners through multiple types of terrain, and Ford will encourage customization by offering more than 100 accessories. To give a sense of the Bronco Sport’s capability, Ford tested prototypes in the same California desert where it hosted the media drive for the original F-150 Raptor. The crossover will be built in Mexico and go on sale late this year.
Edge: Ford has canceled plans to build the next-generation Edge midsize crossover, meaning the nameplate will die at the end of its life cycle in 2023. When reports surfaced this year about the cancellation, the automaker’s response was telling: “We have no plans to exit the segment,” Ford said. Still, there’s a slim chance the fate of the Edge could change following contract negotiations with the Canadian labor union Unifor.
Electric midsize crossover: Ford plans to replace the Edge with an electric midsize crossover in 2023. The vehicle, code-named CDX746, now is expected to be built in Cuautitlan, Mexico, the same plant that will build the Mustang Mach-E. Ford previously said the vehicle would be made at Flat Rock Assembly Plant in Michigan before reverting to its original plans for Mexico.
Explorer: After a botched launch of the redesigned vehicle in 2019 that seemingly cost longtime executive Joe Hinrichs his job, Ford’s popular large crossover has rebounded in sales, despite the coronavirus pandemic. In the first half of 2020, Explorer sales were down less than 1 percent to 101,149. Ford has given customers some variety with a gas-powered ST performance variant and a hybrid option. The Explorer is due for a freshening in 2023.
Bronco: Now might not be the best time to wake up from a five-year coma, but if you have, you’re in for at least one treat: Ford has revived the Bronco, and the off-roader will hit dealerships early next year. The SUV, to be built at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, will come standard with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that’s expected to generate 270 hp and best-in-class 310 pound-feet of torque. It will also come standard with a seven-speed manual, a rarity in today’s industry. More than 200 accessories will be offered at launch. Hackett has said there will be a hybrid variant, and a Raptor performance variant also could be in the works.
Expedition: The 2018 redesign of the large SUV helped Ford recapture sales and share in a profitable segment, but the automaker faces renewed competition from a redesigned Chevrolet Tahoe. Unlike with the previous-generation Expedition that sat virtually untouched for two decades, Ford plans to keep investing in its largest utility. It plans to freshen the vehicle next year. A redesign, along with a hybrid model, is coming in 2023.
Compact pickup: Ford will introduce a small pickup in the second half of 2021 that likely will be called the Maverick. Dealers who were shown the vehicle this year said it would be priced under $20,000. It’s the “affordable whitespace product” Ford first teased in 2019 as a way to make up for cutting lower-priced sedans from its lineup. It will be built in Mexico alongside the Bronco Sport crossover, but it’s unclear whether Ford would declare such an entry-level vehicle part of its Bronco subbrand.
Ranger: The return of the Ranger midsize pickup in 2019 was big news, but the vehicle soon will take a back seat to the upcoming Bronco, which will be built alongside it on the same platform at Michigan Assembly Plant. Customers have long pined for a Raptor performance variant, but the introduction of the Bronco might make it unnecessary. Expect a redesign in 2023.
Bronco pickup: Ford has said the Bronco subbrand is a “family” of vehicles, and Hackett told reporters that “family means you can have more children.” It’s no secret that Ford revived the Bronco in the hopes of capturing some of the sales magic Jeep found with the Wrangler. That includes the Wrangler-based Gladiator pickup, introduced in 2019. Ford is expected to follow suit and introduce a Bronco-based pickup in 2024.
F-150: A redesign of Ford’s most important vehicle is scheduled to reach showrooms by the end of the year. The 2021 model is expected to offer best-in-class towing, payload and torque. It received a number of functional tailgate upgrades as well as a larger center screen (up to 12 inches).
The interior features a flat work surface so owners can set up a functional mobile office, and it is available with “max recline” sleeper seats on both the driver and passenger side in certain trims. It also will have over-the-air software update capability through Ford’s next-generation Sync 4 infotainment system. Ford also is offering a hybrid powertrain this year that doubles as a mobile generator and will add a full battery-electric variant by mid-2022. A redesigned Raptor variant is coming in late 2021.
Super Duty: Ford’s heavy-duty pickups were reengineered last year to add an engine option as well as new technology. They also gained a Tremor package as an answer to Ram’s off-road Power Wagon. A redesigned Super Duty is scheduled to go on sale in early 2023.
Transit Connect: Ford’s small van is a popular option and key commercial product that the automaker has no intention of discontinuing. But where it’s sourcing the vehicle from is changing. Ford originally planned the 2022 redesign with a production shift to Mexico from Spain, but it has canceled those production plans. Instead, Ford is expected to source the next-generation Transit Connect through its alliance with Volkswagen.
Transit: Ford updated its large van with some new features last year, and though sales have fallen 25 percent through the first half of the year, largely because of the pandemic, the Transit remains the leader in the segment. Ford has no plans to redesign the gas-powered Transit for the foreseeable future, although a battery-electric model is coming in 2022.
Autonomous vehicle: Ford delayed its plans to launch self-driving commercial vehicles by a year because of the pandemic. Those vehicles will now launch in 2022.
Ford has yet to announce what type of vehicle it will be, but a van is most likely. The automaker has said the vehicles will be upfitted with self-driving technology and a unique interior.