Just thinking about that..
I believe that Ford missed a golden opportunity with Fusion/Mondeo hatchback
morphing into a crossover, something that could have been built at Flat Rock.
Still a window with C2 Mondeo, it’s more Taurus size now but still applies…
and then there’s the dead and buried Focus Active crossover that could be lengthened and widened to a small mid sized vehicle
Everything doesn’t have to be an either/or choice, some vehicles probably do better in some regions than others, Ford simply pick and choose as required to pick up niche buyers.
So much potential, and so much risk. We'll see if Ford's able to pull it off. What's really intriguing regarding the styling, is Farley, as well as some of Ford's designers, have implied we may see all sorts of body styles blending together. Lifted sedans, hatchbacks that are marketed as crossovers, but are really just cars with a 1-2 inch lift, that sort of thing.
Stallantis already tried that with ridiculous price increases on Jeeps and Rams. Jeeps and Rams fill the lots and aren’t selling. Some dealers have 3 model years still sitting on the lots. Short term it made for great profits, but long term it's been a disaster.