Jqa1824

The Mark IX Cencept is perhaps my favorite car design if all time. It was such a Shane they never made it. An earlier poster said that Ford has a press conference scheduled for Chicago. What could it be for? North American Ranger? Facelifted Escape? Fusion?

Wasn’t Lincoln founded in 1917?

Ha! You’re right!

Did anyone see the social media post by Lincoln a few days ago? Along with the Lincoln logo and a picture of the moon and a sunflower along with this text: “Get ready, we're on the cusp of marking a very important Lincoln milestone. You're all invited. To a new century of you.” it smacks of marketing nonsense, but Lincoln desperately needs to start releasing new product beyond its current lineup. And of late, Ford has been revealing new cars at unusual/non-traditional times. Leaving aside the sedan/Zephyr debate, I think Lincoln needs a CUV below the Corsair (Sojourner?), a replacement for the Nautilus (Oakville EV?) and possibly something else that is a unique or interesting body style.

I wonder if this will give us ideas as to what EVs are going to go to Oakville and Cuautitlan. Isn't the rumor that two midsize CUV's are coming from Oakville (One Ford and one Lincoln) and two smaller EV CUV's than the Mach-E at Cuautitlan (One Ford and one Lincoln). I could see the midsize one replacing/complementing the Nautilus and perhaps the smaller CUV will slot below the Corsair? Or perhaps this announcement has something to do with the gorgeous Zephyr concept that showed earlier this year?

Well, while we know a ton about the Maverick, we are not 100% sure about the various powertrains. It will probably have the 1.3 and 2.0 EcoBoosts...but it could also have the 2.5I4 and the 2.5I4-Hybrid. If the Maverick does have the Hybrid option, wouldn't it make sense to also reveal that the Bronco Sport will get that powertrain option? It also wouldn't surprise me if the Maverick has some fun/interesting features for the bed and cab, and offer a ton of accessories like the Broncos.

There was an exchange on Twitter where someone asked Farley why Ford doesn't build more vehicles in the US and Farley responded with something like: "I assure you that you will be pleased with some upcoming announcements..." This must relate to upcoming and unannounced Fords or Lincolns being built in the US. We know that the Maverick and at least two EVs will be built in Ford's Mexican plants, and a few more EVs will be built in Canada. The only major program that we know about that hasn't been announced are the Fusion/Mondeo and the upcoming EcoSport replacement/s. The EcoSport replacement/s will almost assuredly be built in India, China, or perhaps in Ford's Romanian plant. That leaves the Fusion/Mondeo. We know that Flat Rock is by far Ford's most underutilized plant AND that it has a hard time building taller vehicles. This Fusion/Mondeo doesn't look that much taller than a regular sedan...so everything fits.

Yeah, that is what I expect. June 2nd is the Dealer Reveal and June 9th is the Public/Media reveal.

The Evos looks amazing and this looks pretty similar so Ford could have a hit on its hands. A few weeks ago Farley hinted that it would announce a new vehicle in the coming year or two that would be built in the United States...and this seems like the logical one...especially since Flat Rock needs product. This Fusion/Mondeo would fit perfectly there as well as a protentional Lincoln companion model. One thing that would be great in this car is if Ford made the 2.5 Hybrid powertrain from the Escape available (or standard), as well as making AWD standard or the very least a very inexpensive option. That is one reason that Subaru has been so successful and I think Ford can jump on that bandwagon. It looks like the 2022 and 2023 model year will be busy. -Maverick -Updated Expedition and Navigator -Fusion -Ranger -EcoSport replacement -Mustang -Lincoln EV -Entry level Ford EV

It is interesting. Ford (or at least the design department) has being toying with this idea for years. I remember reading around 1999-2001 that designers in wanted to create a KA sub-brand with the basic city car, the SportKA/StreetKa (which happened), and a Ka wagon/CUV (which didn't). I thought that was a good idea at the time. Also, remember the 24/7 Concepts? Those cars were HATED by the automotive press but actually were really accurate looks into our future. They had touchscreen controls, connectivity to the internet, and two of them were essentially tall hatchbacks/CUVs, and another was a mini-truck. Other than a Mustang Family (coupe/convertible, CUV, 4dr-sedan) and Bronco (Sport, 2/4dr, Truck, Bronco Max)...what else could Ford do? I always liked the idea of the "Model-E" name (it annoyed me years ago when Tesla co-opted the 'Model' prefix) and perhaps that could turn into an affordable range of small EVs in various bodystyles.

Automotive News reports that Ford will unveil an all-new CUV at the Shanghai Auto Show next week, showing off a new design language (I assume this is the same language developed under Moray McCullum for the Equator and the refreshed Escort). Could this be the upcoming Fusion/Mondeo replacement? This and the Maverick are the cars from Ford I am most interested in seeing. If done correctly, these could really be huge hits for Ford. Follow-up thought. I know Flat Rock is "height limited" to a degree, but I really hope the Fusion replacement is built there. Does anyone know the maximum vehicle height for that plant?

Thanks, Ice-Capades, for the info.

Does anyone know when the 2021's will start reaching dealers? It looks like most of the dealerships are clearing our their 2020's. I'm also curious as to when the 2021 Build Site shows up. Thanks!

I'm pretty sure the Puma will not show up outside of Europe...but plans change. My hope is that Ford adds two crossovers below the Escape (as Jeep, Chevy, Hyundai, and Kia have in their lineups). One would start maybe slightly cheaper than the current EcoSport and stay about the same size, whereas the second one would be bigger (think Jeep Compass) and be priced directly inbetween. I think this is also an opportunity to make one of those vehicles fit in within the standard Ford design range, but have the other one be more adventurous and funky. This is how Jeep and Kia do it. The Renegade and the Soul are a bit more adventurous design-wise, whereas the Compass and the Seltos are a bit more mainstream.

What I don't understand is...between 2003 and 2011 (essentially with Bill Ford ran the show or started some of those programs), Ford really turned their reliability around and produced some rock-solid products (2004-2011 Focus, 2005-2012 Escape, 2006-2012 Fusion, Edge, etc), many of which became the most reliable cars in their segment. But then we got a bunch of products that Ford of Europe had a greater hand in....and reliability took a nose-dive. If I was in charge of Ford I would hammer home that the company's ONLY priority is to make the most reliable cars in the world, with the best value in their segments. Everything else is a distraction.

In the next year or so I will probably replace my Mercury Milan with a new-to-me used car. My Aunt and Uncle used to lease a 2013 Focus and I really liked that car and it would serve my needs really well. However, I am aware that the reliability of the 2012+ automatic Focuses are pretty bad. However, I have heard that the I3 EcoBoost Focuses use a different and far more reliable automatic transmission...perhaps the same one that went into the Fusion. Is this true? Are the automatics used in the I3 EcoBoost Automatics reliable? Thanks for the info.

Adrenaline actually would be a cool name for the Ford electric CUV. Wasn’t there a performance Explorer SUV concept callled that in the mid 90s? I also remember that name was going to be used on an SVT version of the 2nd Gen Sport Trac.

Don’t underestimate the Outback. It’s reliable, fairly affordable, has good interior and cargo room, and has remained consistent in its message and execution...I.e. it’s a great product. The gravy on top is that AWD is standard and barely adds a cost penalty to a similarly sized and equipped competitor that is FWD only. If Ford made a true Outback competitor with all or most of these virtues, it could sell really well, especially if it looks good.

I could see a ‘Big Bronco’ that shares a platform with the F-150. It would use a front clip from the F-150 or Superduty but modified a bit to align with the other Broncos (perhaps unique front bumpers, headlights, etc). Then it would have two full size doors shared with F-Series but with two half doors ala an F-Series supercab and then an enclosed bed which might include a removable top (or for simplicity’s sake just an enclosed bed. I would guess this vehicle would be niche but I could see Ford selling 30,000 a year easily or more and it could command high prices, particularly if there was a Raptor style SVT version. This would leave us with three and half Broncos: Bronco Scout (C-sized 4 door) Bronco (2 door) Bronco (Max?) (4 door) Bronco (?) (full-size) But should this possible model be called?

At first I wondered if this was the affordable “approved in 12 weeks” vehicle that was hinted at recently...but now I doubt it. I’m excited though, as both announced Rivian products look like potential winners. I wonder if this program will be a Lincoln? It seems to me like a skateboard platform would make for a wonderful EV sports car or sedan.

I LOVE this name, if this is indeed the name of the smaller/cheaper/more civilized “Baby Bronco.” The name isn’t a dreaded alpha-numeric addition (exp: Bronco XS) or the meaningless ‘Sport.’ To me the name fits with an outdoorsy theme, and sounds fun, adventurous, and optimistic. It’s not in your face, trendy, or obnoxious. Plus, it’s a name you can say in isolation. “What do you drive?” ”A Scout.” ”What kind of car is that?” ”It’s a Ford SUV. It’s the brother of the Bronco. Bronco Scout.” Well done, Ford!

I sure hope so. I love the Zephyr name.

Yesterday on the highway I was driving amongst an uncamoed 2020 Escape and a camoed Corsair. Both looked fantastic. The Escape looks so sleek, sporty, and optimistic in character. So many vehicles released over the last 5+ years look so busy and ‘over designed’ in my opinion and this Escape is such a breath of fresh air. The only thing I don’t think is ‘perfect’ is that I wish that the rear end was a bit more interesting, compared to the front and side profile. It was also in that bright blue color which really captures the personality of the design theme. The Corsair looked great too and very similar to the Aviator...but perhaps a bit better because it looked like there is less of a ‘sag’ in the roofline. You could tell the Escape and Corsair were the same basic size, but boy do they look different in proportions and character. These two vehicles should be massive hits just based on looks alone.

I saw this on Autoline’s Facebook page. It appears to be the Chinese version of the new Escape. I wonder why they get a different front bumper? I still think I prefer the NA/EU version, but this looks great too.

I saw this on Autoline’s Facebook page. It appears to be the Chinese version of the new Escape. I wonder why they get a different front bumper? I still think I prefer the NA/EU version, but this looks great too.