Ford's Baby Bronco Will Be Based on the New Focus
The tough-looking small crossover Ford teased alongside the new Bronco earlier this year will tap the new unibody, front-wheel drive global architecture that serves in the new Focus.
The crossover, often referred to as the ‘Baby Bronco’, will have “offroad positioning and imagery,” Ford’s vice president of product development, Hau Thai-Tang, told Reuters in a recent interview. Thai-Tang also said the vehicle will carry a premium price tag.
In addition to sharing a platform with the new Focus, the miniaturized Bronco will also share many other components with the compact such as the interior componentry and perhaps even the four-cylinder engine and eight-speed transmission.
SEE ALSO: Confirmed: New Ford Bronco Will Arrive for 2020
“Ford helped start the off-road phenomenon and has majored in off-road capability for decades– from the Bronco to the Raptor,” Ford president Jim Farley said earlier this year, referencing the unnamed tiny off-roader. “Now, we’re ready to reclaim our rightful place as the off-road vehicle leader.”
Ford’s new global platform, which hasn’t been given a name yet, will also serve as the basis for the forthcoming new Escape crossover and the Focus Active. The Focus Active, a high-riding rugged take on the compact hatch, is the only Focus variant we’ll be receiving in North America, as Ford has shifted its product strategy to include crossovers only.
The ‘Baby Bronco’ is expected to debut sometime in 2019 as a 2020 model year vehicle. That mean it should be on sale by late 2019.
[Source: Reuters]
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Sam McEachern holds a diploma in journalism from St. Clair College in Windsor, Ontario, and has been covering the automotive industry for over 5 years. He conducts reviews and writes AutoGuide's news content. He's a die-hard motorsports fan with a passion for performance cars of all sorts.
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