Why tool up OHP to build 50K minivans a year for just the NA market, cheaper to let VW supply the current Transit Connect with back seats to avoid the chicken tax. Better yet, the Transit Custom is a better size for US customers and VW might take some too.
This is where Ford's "chase profit instead of volume" model is going to fall flat (like I have been saying on this forum for a few years now). When these customers, many of whom were loyal Ford buyers, are gone, it will be hard to get them back. Ford casting aside huge segments of the population does not create a pipeline for broader loyalty to the brand.
The CE1 truck will be closer in size to the R1 pickup anyways.
The R2 is roughly the same length as the Escape, so if anything the CE1 CUV will be roughly the same size as the R2 and be about 10-15K cheaper in starting price.
Exclusive: Ford and Geely in talks for manufacturing, technology partnership, sources say | Reuters
Ford only made ~80,000 Kugas in Spain last year, out of the total capacity of 450,000.