I wonder if this new PHEV will have Pro Power Onboard. It would strengthen its appeal.

The insane part is that there probably is a hardcore RWD car niche market that Ford could easily fill with a four door based off the Mustang’s platform. All the elements have been there for years but Farley and Ford gave us a hint at priorities when Bromco was launched - the biggest demographic  open to buying a Bronco came from Mustang owners….. So yeah, Maybe Mr. Farley was cautious about offering the car knowing that eyes could be distracted from those lucrative Bronco sales? …I wonder if that view is starting to change?

Avoid importation? I have a feeling that the Bronco Sport made at Valencia will be for Europe and ROW markets only and that a US evolution of that vehicle gets built at Hermosillo as a second generation Bronco Sport. Thinking about the new Bronco Sport length vs Escape: Current Bronco Sport length 172” Current Ecape Length 178”   First generation boxy Escape length 173” 2005-2007  boxy Escape Length 174.9” 2nd Gen boxy Escape length 174.7”   thinking logically, a new Bronco Sport that’s 175”-176” long is still technically shorter than the latest Escape but would probably work much better at convincing Escape buyers to try it…exactly what Ford wants.    

It's not a premium. The only options were the wheels and the paint, vapor blue, was a 450(!) dollar option. I liked the color so much, and I didn't want another grayscale car, I ponied up for the paint.

We've said that for years.  It's always been that way thanks in part to high labor costs.  The only reason they kept building them in the 80s, 90s and 2000s is because of UAW contracts and CAFE benefits.  That's also the reason they didn't care about platform costs.  They didn't expect them to be profitable.   The only difference is you're saying they just quit making them and we're saying they replaced or are replacing most of them with new better products.  

Your just moving the goal posts bringing up products that where stopped being made 30-40 years ago with acknowledging that the market has changed in several different ways during that time.    Small cars haven’t made a profit for the big three for over 45 years…why would they do so now? 

It's too affordable for Americans to want.

Someone once said "Ford is in the business of making money, not making vehicles."    This explained the cancellation of small cars, large cars, midsize cars, all cars, the Ranger, the Bronco, Transit Connect, Windstar, Aerostar, etc.   CAFE and profitability are excuses for the lack of investment in competitive products.    There, Ford struggles to build low-margin vehicles profitably. It's been this way for decades.  There isn't any evidence that this has changed.

Notice Escape is actually cheaper now?  And you can't compare a well equipped 4 door Maverick to a cheap 3 door Focus or Fiesta that was sold at a loss as a CAFE offset.     So yes Ford stopped selling dirt cheap cars that lost money in favor of slightly more expensive vehicles that make money.  How dare they do that.....      If you want to provide cheap vehicles as a community service then go start a non profit.