Baby Ford Bronco To Ride On Focus Architecture

As Ford works to cull its passenger cars from North America, crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks will fill dealerships instead. One of the forthcoming new vehicles is a so-called “Baby Bronco.” But the tiny off-roader will have more in common with the latest Focus than the rebooted Bronco.

Reuters reported Wednesday that the baby Bronco will share a platform with the Ford Focus and borrow parts from the next Ford Escape. Hau Thai-Tang, executive vice president of product development and purchasing, said the model will feature “offroad positioning and imagery” and carry a more premium price tag.

A source added that the unnamed model will wear a retro design to mirror the mid-1960s Bronco.

Ford’s use of the Focus platform for its tiny off-roader isn’t a shock. The automaker has invested in a new front-wheel-drive platform that has the capability to underpin everything from sub-compact to mid-size cars. The new Focus is the first model to ride on the latest underpinnings, though we’ll only see the car in Activ guise, which is meant to mimic a crossover.

We haven’t seen an actual prototype of the model testing just yet, but spy shots may have caught the baby Bronco cloaked as a larger Fiesta. The photos showed a Fiesta sub-compact with an extended wheelbase and extra material tacked at the C-pillar.

As for a name for the upcoming model, Ford filed to trademark the “Maverick” and “Timberland” names earlier this year. The unnamed model is expected to launch in 2019 as a 2020 model. We’ll also see the reborn Bronco itself debut sometime next year, too.