Aaron Brzozowski
Yesterday, at the Chicago Auto Show, Ford reiterated its plans to expand its crossover and SUV lineup by four new models in the next four years.
Notably, these will be new nameplates, meaning that if the EcoSport were to occupy one of those slots in the US – as we suspect it will – it would most likely go by another name. We also suspect that one of these four SUVs will be a successor to the long-discontinued Bronco, and still another might be sold under the Lincoln brand (perhaps as the “Aviator?”.
But what role will electrification play in Ford’s expanded SUV lineup? Back in December, Ford announced a $4.5 billion investment into drivetrain electrification, “so you can imagine there will be broad usage across our lineup,” said Ford VP of Marketing, Sales and Service Mark LaNeve. He went on to say that rising fuel economy requirements are “a big challenge for the industry, but at Ford we have a plan. To meet the future targets, there will be more [electrification] across all segments, cars, utilities, everything.”
It’s reasonable to suspect, then, that one or more of Ford’s four new future SUVs will make use of electrification. Ford previously offered a hybridized version of the second-generation Escape CUV, but that model was discontinued in 2012. What SUV(s) might utilized electrification four years from now is anyone’s guess.
[Source: Autoblog.com]
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