Length and lack of a hybrid are holding BS back from higher sales volume.  With Escape gone there is no reason not to make a FWD hybrid extended wheelbase version other than maybe factory capacity.

Yep, car companies have this idea that EVs have to look like the future, which ironically leads to designs that get very dated looking very quickly.    I'm of the mindset that EVs give you the design flexibility to make a car look better. Push the wheels out to the corners, a lower front end, a more sculpted and lower hood, a sleeker roofline, etc. So companies should just differentiate EVs by making them better looking cars instead of weird looking cars.    I agree with what Ford says, if you're gonna make affordable EVs, don't make them look like toasters in wheels, make them emotional products.

Wow, I just realised that was 40 years ago

That probably would have sold in larger numbers.😁 Technically, the RAV4 Adventure/Woodlands is a whole unchopped RAV4 with an Otter box. The Bronco Sport was made significantly shorter than the Escape (by over half a foot) to make it more off-road capable or at least look the part. This probably made it feel too small (at least by US standards) for some buyers, anything smaller than the traditional C-segment or compact vehicle is always called too small (even though traditional compacts used to be that small in the 2000s).

MCE in 4th year is same cadence as F150.  It’s a stunning design inside and out.

That's fair.   I wonder how that did in focus groups, though.  Did it do well, and people were like "oh I want to have that!", vs the focus groups for this thing that reportedly universally panned it?

It was probably a low-take trim on the outgoing model, but with entry pricing of the 2025 jumping $15,000 without it, the idea is more appealing to folks.  The 2025 base price for the SWB version was more than the base price of the 2024 LWB model Reserve.   The new Premiere trim will be starting at $91,995, so it'll be close to the pricing of the 2024 Reserve, which will be appealing to buyers.  

Lincoln Nautilus Refresh Expected In 2027    Rather, according to a new report from Automotive News, the Lincoln Nautilus is now scheduled to receive a mid-cycle fresh in 2027, a bit later than previously expected. It was back in October 2024 that Automotive News previously reported that the luxurious crossover would be receiving its next update in 2026, but with sales continuing to prove strong for the newer model, delaying that action a bit seems to make sense in this case.   https://fordauthority.com/2025/09/lincoln-nautilus-refresh-expected-in-2027/    

Agree, it is kind of ambiguos, just 1 year later, maybe they need to know their clients better and also watch the competition

The original North America Taurus was a pretty big leap design wise...