Ford CEO Jim Farley Says Focus, Fusion Had To Die For Bronco And Maverick To Exist

[Sherminator98]

11 minutes ago, akirby said:

 

I thought Kuga was dead also.

 

With rumors of Bronco Sport being i ported from Spain and TTP I'm thinking they may be moving Maverick to TTP (or replacing it with a new one) which frees up Hermosillo to make c2/c3 hybrid crossovers.   Nautilus, Corsair and a new Edge and/or Escape would be nice.

 

The ROW Kuga/Escape isn't dead yet

 

 

[akirby]

3 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

The ROW Kuga/Escape isn't dead yet

 

 

I was going by what bzcat said recently in the gear patrol ford topic.

 

[akirby]

Also....

 

 

[Sherminator98]

5 minutes ago, akirby said:

I was going by what bzcat said recently in the gear patrol ford topic.

 

 

Dead yet....our Escape is dead already-I guess the Kuga might follow in a year or two, but apparently a replacement is already planned in a form of a Bronco Sport like model

[rmc523]

9 hours ago, akirby said:

Can't find it now but he said something like if you liked Escape you'll be happy or something to that effect.

 

I think this is the rumored Maverick SUV.

 

33 minutes ago, akirby said:

 

I thought Kuga was dead also.

 

With rumors of Bronco Sport being i ported from Spain and TTP I'm thinking they may be moving Maverick to TTP (or replacing it with a new one) which frees up Hermosillo to make c2/c3 hybrid crossovers.   Nautilus, Corsair and a new Edge and/or Escape would be nice.

 

I think the Spain rumors were putting pieces together early.....that was before they announced the TTP thing - I find it hard to believe they'll import BS from Spain.

[morgan20]

11 hours ago, akirby said:

But did they ever really have hybrids in development?  They always shunned them in the past.

 

About 7 or 8 years ago there was talk about GM expanding availability of the power-split hybrid powertrain used in 2016-2019 Malibu Hybrid to other vehicles like Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain, but it wasn't too long afterward when one of the big shots, Mark Reuss, drew the line in the sand:

 

If I had a dollar more to invest, would I spend it on a hybrid? Or would I spend it on the answer that we all know is going to happen (BEV), and get there faster and better than anybody else? 

 

Edited January 14 by morgan20

[Sherminator98]

2 minutes ago, morgan20 said:

If I had a dollar more to invest, would I spend it on a hybrid? Or would I spend it on the answer that we all know is going to happen (BEV), and get there faster and better than anybody else? 

 

Comments like this make me shake my head-you can't force people to buy something they really don't care for. I see the same comments being made by Tech CEOs about AI, when there is huge backlash against that from the typical customer. 

[Texasota]

12 hours ago, akirby said:

Can't find it now but he said something like if you liked Escape you'll be happy or something to that effect.

Yes, I got a marketing email several months ago that said “Enjoying your Escape or Corsair?” and stated I would like what is coming. 
 

I think the Corsair part is answered as we are going to be getting the Corsair from China like we do for Nautilus.

Edited January 14 by Texasota

[Biker16]

On 1/12/2026 at 5:42 PM, fordmantpw said:

 

You really don't understand how a business works, do you?

 I understand that business works differently in different places. And that business culture is not a monolith. 

Its not like I have a degree in Economics 🫢

All I can say is the American business culture is unique, and more focused on short-term gains and marketing than innovating in fundamental engineering and manufacturing. 

[Biker16]

18 hours ago, mackinaw said:

 

Not really sure.  They had the Chevy Volt, an EREV, back in 2010.  They could have further developed that technology, but Mary Barra made an executive decision to go 100% EV's.  Now they're playing catchup. 

 It won't be hard for GM to develop a hybrid, but long-term BEVs are the future. its not a matter of if but when. 

Pardon the pun, but progress in the Auto industry continues everywhere else but here. 

[morgan20]

19 minutes ago, Biker16 said:

All I can say is the American business culture is unique, and more focused on short-term gains and marketing than innovating in fundamental engineering and manufacturing. 

 

Yea, more focused on short-term gains and marketing than innovating in fundamental engineering and manufacturing is an accurate description of Ford Motor Company and Visteon when I worked for them in the 1990s and 2000s. An inside joke at the time within Ford (which wasn't a joke) was that when engineers got promoted, they went to the PR department to engineer by press release. 🤣

 

Hopefully, Ford's skunkworks will finally move the needle in the right direction for innovating in fundamental engineering and manufacturing. But the corporate culture up in Dearborn which is so focused on the short term will be a tough nut to crack 

Edited January 14 by morgan20

[akirby]

11 minutes ago, Biker16 said:

 I understand that business works differently in different places. And that business culture is not a monolith. 

Its not like I have a degree in Economics 🫢

All I can say is the American business culture is unique, and more focused on short-term gains and marketing than innovating in fundamental engineering and manufacturing. 

That's true as far as American companies being more short term focused but you're dead wrong about innovation and engineering.  Ford and GM are every bit as innovative as Toyota or Hyundai or VW - they just do it on trucks and commercial vehicles and sports cars and larger SUVs i stead of on vehicles YOU want them to make.

 

What is universal is corporate finance.  Unless a company borrows money or has a lot of extra cash lying around to expand then every dollar and every FTE spent on something new has to come from something existing.   If you have a lot of factories and employees like GM and Toyota you can get away with repurposing.  Ford runs a leaner operation so they don't have that option.  All of the EV funding came from cuts to Ford Blue.  That's how it works.

[bzcat]

18 hours ago, jpd80 said:

At least Mexico has the option of importing Kuga from Europe without significant tariffs…

 

Territory already replaced Escape in Mexico

 

https://www.ford.mx/todos-los-vehiculos/suv/

[morgan20]

1 hour ago, akirby said:

Ford and GM are every bit as innovative as Toyota or Hyundai or VW 

 

Using patents granted a proxy for innovation (albeit an imperfect one), Hyundai and Toyota were the only automakers on the Top 10 list last year.

 

 

 

 

[akirby]

Not impressed by patents.  I own one myself and while it was a really good application design that I'm proud of the only reason it was patented was because the contractors we hired to write the code wanted to sell it to other clients.  I also personally know folks who have 20-30+ patents each but none of them are particularly useful - they're just ideas that didn't already have a patent.  It's like throwing a pot of spaghetti against the wall and hoping one piece sticks.

 

I'm not saying Toyota or Hyundai aren't innovative.  But Ford has done great things with F150, Bronco and Mustang.
 

F series - Aluminum body, powerboost hybrid, ecoboost engines, high output diesel, future erev, godzilla v8.

Mustang -  Predator v8, GTD, gt3/gt4 race cars

Raptor suspensions

Ford GT - everything

Bronco off road performance and accessories.

Tons of innovation just not on small cars like some people prefer.

[mackinaw]

Interesting article in today's Detroit News about how "globalism" is out and "localization" is in.  Farley made this comment about sedans:

 

Ford in December emphasized forthcoming affordable trucks, and its next-generation EV will first launch in 2027 as a Maverick-like midsize truck starting at $30,000. Although the automaker left the U.S. sedan market by 2020, it's a "vibrant" segment, Farley said, but the challenge has been producing them profitably.

"We may find a way to do that, but you have to produce it here, compared to bringing them in from Europe like you did before, or Mexico," Farley said. "Never say never."

[rmc523]

17 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

Interesting article in today's Detroit News about how "globalism" is out and "localization" is in.  Farley made this comment about sedans:

 

Ford in December emphasized forthcoming affordable trucks, and its next-generation EV will first launch in 2027 as a Maverick-like midsize truck starting at $30,000. Although the automaker left the U.S. sedan market by 2020, it's a "vibrant" segment, Farley said, but the challenge has been producing them profitably.

"We may find a way to do that, but you have to produce it here, compared to bringing them in from Europe like you did before, or Mexico," Farley said. "Never say never."

 

FRAP:

 

[Sherminator98]

26 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

Interesting article in today's Detroit News about how "globalism" is out and "localization" is in.  Farley made this comment about sedans:

 

 

Globalism as we’ve known it for the past 25 years or so is rapidly coming to an end. 

[mackinaw]

26 minutes ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Globalism as we’ve known it for the past 25 years or so is rapidly coming to an end. 

 

It's a good article.  It's behind a paywall, but here's the link:

 

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2026/01/14/detroit-auto-show-jim-farley-ford-globalization-localization-u-s-manufacturing/88050761007/?gnt-cfr=1&gca-cat=p&gca-uir=true&gca-epti=z11xx46p119150c119150d00----v11xx46d--36--b--36--&gca-ft=102&gca-ds=sophi

[Biker16]

On 1/14/2026 at 8:38 PM, morgan20 said:

 

Using patents granted a proxy for innovation (albeit an imperfect one), Hyundai and Toyota were the only automakers on the Top 10 list last year.

 

 

 

 

 

Yep, a few decades ago, Ford was near the top, now they are being left behind.

 

On 1/15/2026 at 12:25 AM, akirby said:

Not impressed by patents.  I own one myself and while it was a really good application design that I'm proud of the only reason it was patented was because the contractors we hired to write the code wanted to sell it to other clients.  I also personally know folks who have 20-30+ patents each but none of them are particularly useful - they're just ideas that didn't already have a patent.  It's like throwing a pot of spaghetti against the wall and hoping one piece sticks.

 

I'm not saying Toyota or Hyundai aren't innovative.  But Ford has done great things with F150, Bronco and Mustang.
 

F series - Aluminum body, powerboost hybrid, ecoboost engines, high output diesel, future erev, godzilla v8.

Mustang -  Predator v8, GTD, gt3/gt4 race cars

Raptor suspensions

Ford GT - everything

Bronco off road performance and accessories.

Tons of innovation just not on small cars like some people prefer.

I don't know why you are so defensive.

I am not going to dispute your list, but most of those items were developed, co-developed, or built by suppliers, not Ford. Ford's first all-aluminum product wasn't the F-150, it was the Jaguar XJ.

Most innovation in the Auto industry is in electric vehicles, not ICE; the list reflects that reality.

[akirby]

2 hours ago, Biker16 said:

I don't know why you are so defensive.

Because you bash Ford and give them no credit just because they don't do what you want them to do.

[morgan20]

2 hours ago, Biker16 said:

Most innovation in the Auto industry is in electric vehicles, not ICE; the list reflects that reality.

 

Yea, electric vehicles and all that advanced driver assist/robotaxi stuff, along with new manufacturing processes, are the sources of most innovation in the Auto industry. 

 

Ford should be makin' a lot of progress in those areas thanks to the skunkworks. Wouldn't be surprised if Ford's patent grants in 2026 and 2027 are much higher.

 

At the same time, akirby clarified some important points about the nature of patents, especially being a patent owner himself. That's why I added the qualification that while patents can be a proxy for innovation, they are an imperfect one.

Edited January 16 by morgan20

[Biker16]

28 minutes ago, akirby said:

Because you bash Ford and give them no credit just because they don't do what you want them to do.

 
Look, I love my wife, and she is far from perfect. I am happy laud her when she does amazing things, but I love her enough to criticize her to others when she makes mistakes.

Ford has done a lot to change the world; they have also made mistakes. Both are true; I and everyone here want Ford to succeed, but it doesn't make sense to acknowledge the former while ignoring the latter.

Edited January 16 by Biker16

[jpd80]

On 1/15/2026 at 10:45 AM, bzcat said:

 

Territory already replaced Escape in Mexico

 

https://www.ford.mx/todos-los-vehiculos/suv/

Thanks for the correction, that makes a lot of sense for Mexico

 

I’m wondering if Ford Europe is “hedging its bets” with Kuga and Bronco Sport production

after the all electric future with MEB based Explorer and Capri hasn’t produced many sales.

 

It’s a bit frustrating to watch because Equator + Equator Sport (Territory) would be a head start

on a next generation of Escape and Edge  for cohesive ROW production but understand that 

Europe must keep eyes on heavily biased electrification EREVs and BEVs, hoping for a solution.

What would cure Ford Europe’s ills with sales?

 

 

Edited January 16 by jpd80

[DeluxeStang]

On 1/15/2026 at 10:50 AM, mackinaw said:

Interesting article in today's Detroit News about how "globalism" is out and "localization" is in.  Farley made this comment about sedans:

 

Ford in December emphasized forthcoming affordable trucks, and its next-generation EV will first launch in 2027 as a Maverick-like midsize truck starting at $30,000. Although the automaker left the U.S. sedan market by 2020, it's a "vibrant" segment, Farley said, but the challenge has been producing them profitably.

"We may find a way to do that, but you have to produce it here, compared to bringing them in from Europe like you did before, or Mexico," Farley said. "Never say never."

It seems like the stars are aligning for Ford to produce affordable cars again using CE1 almost certainly using the same plant as the one the truck is gonna rely on. He said their volume target is 300,000 units annually which I don't see Ford hitting out of that plant unless they do quite a few different top hats.