Farley is a former Toyota guy they don’t know any other way to market their vehicles. It’s just old habits. Separate note, its clear to see why they don’t want to be in the Escape business. Fleet sale machine and unlike other fleet sales I doubt it lead to any significant Ford Pro business.  

I understand the patent images are slightly different and showing movable glass.We obviously see the patent showing that, but BORG has also claimed the glass isn't movable, but also consider that source.   A fixed glass would still let you hold long low objects (like plywood), but I do agree, that it'd prevent you from having a longer, taller item that may need to extend into the cab to fit within the vehicle's footprint.     The above patent images show two different setups, I think:   1) The ones with the whole vehicle profile seem to show the bulkhead sliding forward behind the front row with or without the glass....not quote sure how that'd work, unless there's just a mounting point somewhere near the b-pillar instead of it sliding?   2) the lower two images seem to show the bulkhead pivoting backward into the bed (see the section view), with the last one showing the locking pin mechanism, which would have to be from the inside of the cab, with handles to pull it back up when finished.     A "simpler"/more familiar design I could see is that the rear seat bottom pivots forward into the footwell area, then the back seats/rear bulkhead flip down where the seat bottom was....this approach makes more sense than what's shown above.  Ideally, it'd make a completely flat floor from the rear end of the bed all the way up to the under side of the flipped up seat cushions.   Similar to how Bronco 2 door folds the second row seats, but instead of the seatback, you'd have a solid panel that is the back of the bulkhead/front of the bed:     As to where the glass would go if it's removable....not sure?  maybe a compartment built into the floor?

I agree it's a bit cheeky to claim any type of quality standing.  My 2026 Aviator is the lowest quality vehicle I have ever purchased, especially the paint that Ford charges extra for.  I just haven't taken the time to return it for the fixes that are required.  Most seem to be software related and hopefully a reflash of the BCM will work, a front parking sensor is out also.  My latest acquisition is a 2026 F150 XL regular cab short bed, who knew that just a base truck has the most comfortable seats out there.  14 hour drive home from the dealership and no back pain.  So far no defects with the F150  

Yeah, I find it annoying that they've been touting that (they've even been running TV and radio commercials touting it), with how big of an issue it's been (and how it's yo-yo'd).

On the gas side that's not a van, Ford is down to Kuga and Puma, so if they dropped that, there wouldn't be much left to sell.   Otherwise, there's the slow selling electric models.   At least here, we have Bronco Sport, even if it's not absorbing Escape sales.

Pricing:     2027 Ram Rumble Bee Pricing: $35,000 Gap Between Cheapest And Most Expensive   After unveiling the Rumble Bee a few months ago, Ram has now announced pricing for the entire lineup. The base model starts at $62,790 (including destination) and comes with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 “Eagle” engine rated at 395 hp and 410 lb-ft of torque. Should you want more oomph, the Rumble Bee 392 costs an additional $10,000 and packs a larger 6.4-liter “Apache” V8 producing 470 hp and 455 lb-ft. For another $10,000, buyers can add a Track Pack with launch control and an electronic spool differential, which locks the rear axle electronically and splits torque evenly between the two rear wheels. Drivers activate the system by pressing a button to the right of the steering wheel. As you might expect, the Track Pack is designed for drag racing or simply laying down some tire smoke.   2027 Ram 1500 Rumble Bee Pricing Model Pricing (including destination) Rumble Bee $62,790 Rumble Bee 392 $72,790 Rumble Bee 392 Track Pack $82,790 Rumble Bee SRT $97,790 The Rumble Bee SRT sits at the top of the range and carries a hefty $15,000 premium over the 392 with the Track Pack. At $97,790, it undercuts the go-anywhere-fast TRX by just $5,000. The flagship street truck uses the same supercharged 6.2-liter “Hellcat” V8 as the off-road behemoth, delivering a thunderous 777 hp and 680 lb-ft.

I Saw The New Audi Q9 Up Close. It's A Brilliant Full-Size Flagship SUV   Audi’s Biggest SUV Ever Tops Out At $120,000 For The SQ9, And Yes, It Has a V8 | Carscoops   2027 Audi Q9 And SQ9 Revealed: Audi’s First Full-Size SUV Arrives With Three Rows And Up To 591 HP - Autoblog  

A bit cheeky to claim #1 in quality based on IQS only.  But headed in the right direction.  

I'm also guessing it turns a profit at its price point where the Escape has struggled to do so in the NA market. 

Apparently, Kuga is not as boring in the EU as Escape was to NA...