Yeah its called making it an EV   The longer wheelbase/larger footprint is just workaround for CAFE which is just going to be more onerous for the time being.    So you can blame CAFE for making vehicles both larger and more expensive, because the amount of money to be able to make them meet CAFE destroys their abitily to be profitable, at least till EVs become more affordable 

perhaps FWD with AWD added requires only one series of crash tests to prove the forward crash protection structure which lets face is where a good portion of the engineering development budget. I could see some approving authorities wanting RWD plus AWD version having to be tested twice over because with /without front motor and drive.   Now  if you’re Tesla and you’re selling compact and larger vehicles with emphasis on performance, The RWD plus AWD option makes sense. If you’re trying to sell an affordable subcompact where  every dollar counts, then maybe a FWD set up comes in a little cheaper because the cabin and  front footwells can be positioned forward and inside the front wheel tubs, adding up to a shorter cabin design

I test drove a Tesla years ago, and the salesperson was giddy because "Oh look it can drive itself"...Yeah well, it was very passive, it wouldn't get close enough and when cars cut in front of me it would slow down.  Well being from Miami I was not having any of that...took it off, got aggressive and saw what a waste it was.  The guy was shocked because I pointed out all the issues of the vehicle (doors slamming shut sounding tinsy when I closed them, materials were 90s like, wind noise, trunk wasn't finished accordingly, A/C didn't cool enough like I'm used to with Fords)...he was really hurt...I did see some compare with trucks I think Edmunds or MT or something, and the competitors had subscription services and were dinged because of it.   I get it, subscription services are a money maker.

Why not introduce a series of hybrids, especially now that Ford offers an AWD hybrid on the maverick, and slot those into the next gen BS to reduce emissions instead of making the vehicle larger? Most BS buyers I've talked to bought a BS because they liked the way it looked, and it's compact size that made it easy to park and live with.    Stretching the wheelbase throws off the proportions and makes the vehicle harder to maneuver. There has to be a better way to meet CAFE standards that don't involve butchering the design. 

Didn't we hear from Ford, that they were wanting to do less 2 row crossovers, and focus more on 3 rows?

It’s been said over and over that short wheelbase is a huge CAFE liability.  

This could be the next bronco sport if they end up on offering multiple lengths, a short and extended wheelbase. Have we heard anything about that?.

Enough with the political posturing.

It's ironic that the "pro-choice" party doesn't favor the rights of individuals to choose what they would like to purchase.

This is most likely the replacement for the current Bronco Sport - making it larger for CAFE compliance.  So calling it Flex would kill the Bronco Sport name.