Very promising. it's gonna come down to the execution, but the idea is awesome.    I've said for some time that Ford should get back into certain car segments, but with products that are more aspirational and thus, can command a slightly higher price.    The issue is past at and RS models, while great, were always just some tarted up version of a generic blob of wheels. I thought it would be neat if instead of making a generic hatchback, and then trying to make it desirable, make something desirable out of the box.    Much how a entry level mustang or bronco is still an aspirational and exciting product. That approach, taken to a hatchback. That sounds kinda like what Ford is describing. 

Mark Fields, he first proposed them straight after Mulally left but then,  the business cases for anything other  than CD6 Explorer/Aviator  just didn’t stack up and there was a lot of  push back on going away from FWD/AWD that was working.   Twinning Explorer with Edge would have helped, imagine if Ford  haddeveloped Explorer with two wheelbase lengths like it did with Expedition but as Explorer and Explorer Sport..  

I still don’t see how this makes any sense to cancel Bronco Sport after how well it’s done, but it wouldn’t be the first time Ford has done something stupid.   i think there’s room for both.   Make Escape more boxy than the last two generations, but not a complete box….make it a mini Explorer - semi boxy but sleeker, and let Bronco Sport be a more complete box and continue with the short and longer wheelbases.   i guess the limiting factor with Cuatitlan is when does Mach E production end and you’d also have to gut and retool the factory to make ICE products again, all by the 2028 model year when we know Mach E is projected until at least then if not further?

Maybe it’s just the angle or the color, but the real world pics don’t look nearly as impressive as the ones that were released. It loses almost all of its “off road” look. 

I forget, did the CD6 products being dropped happen under Hackett or Farley?

We’ll see!   I’m skeptical until we actually see something that’s not just the “tack some extra fog lights and a spoiler on” approach to an ordinary hatch.

This might make someone happy 😛   https://www.motor1.com/news/805740/affordable-ford-rally-car-jim-farley-rumor    

Not really:     I've seen them come up in the past and I believe that they are forecasting sub manufactures-keep in mind that changes can take 24-36 months to implement with a product, so these guys would need to start to know what to start tooling up for for the 2028MY for example right around now.    But I still find it really hard to believe that Ford would throw away all the years of good will they've built up with the Bronco Sport, but this also begs the question, is this 25K "cheap" utility actually the Bronco Sport Replacement, given the issues the C2 platform has with costs...and Ford just doesn't want to say that yet.      So this is my take on it: The F-100/F-100 SD will be basically a Ranger with different styling and other things that will appeal more to the North American buyer.   It will have more body styles and beds (2 door and longer beds) and be profitable if sold as a commercial fleet market vehicle.   I'm also assuming the low end F-150 will be going up in price significantly and there is a sizeable part of the Ford Pro market that an entry level F-150 is basically a sledgehammer in its role when all you need is a 12oz hammer-l'm thinking like Park Ranger vehicle or other light duty stuff where the heaviest thing its gonna see in the bed is trash or a dead deer or something like that.  Otherwise its going to be identical to Ranger in regular consumers eye with offering a Raptor edition etc. 

Why flush all that good will down the toilet with the buyers also? 

Maybe they think it will cannibalize a lot of BS sales?