Ford Reportedly Shows Dealers Budget-Friendly $25k SUV
When Ford axed the popular Escape, the company said the SUV had to go. Ford needed room for an all-new EV platform. Officials felt confident that the Maverick pickup and the Bronco Sport would cover some of the gap. Still, the move angered dealers. They hated losing a popular gateway model that steadily pulled buyers into showrooms.
A new report suggests Ford has been listening to that criticism. The company could give dealers a reprieve with a new SUV. This model would allegedly start at just under $30,000 once it reaches production.
Ford’s New Budget SUV Reportedly Embraces Boxy Lines
According to the report, the new SUV allegedly appeared at a private dealer event in Las Vegas. There, it shared the stage with other upcoming Ford models. Automotive News first picked up the story. The report says the SUV sits in early development. Dealers at the event saw footage of early prototypes in action. Ford also handed them early mock-ups to preview the vehicle. Officials warned dealers that the design was not fully locked in. They said the display mainly showed the estimated size of the SUV.
Dealers who attended the event told AN that the unnamed SUV had wide, boxy bodywork. That description hints the SUV might channel the second-generation Escape for its design inspiration. The boxy second-generation Escape proved very popular with buyers. It even spawned a hybrid model before Ford axed it in 2012. Ford then replaced it in 2013 with a model based on the Ford Kuga.
New Ford SUV Would Help Fill a Hole In Showrooms
If this SUV reaches production, it would fill a noticeable hole the Escape left behind. The Escape served as Ford’s gateway model. After the slow-selling EcoSport disappeared, it also became the cheapest way into a Ford SUV. Dealers welcomed its strong sales. Yet when Ford pulled the plug, dealers lost an easy way to bring in new customers. Some loyal Escape owners even switched to rival brands. Dealers in our area call this an ongoing challenge. So far, neither the Bronco Sport nor the Maverick has closed the sales gap.
This new SUV would ease the load on the Bronco Sport and the Maverick. Its reported $25,000 base price would give Ford the cheapest entry in its lineup. It would also serve as a true gateway vehicle. Such a price could lure budget buyers back into showrooms who otherwise cannot afford the Maverick or the Bronco Sport.
Ford Stays Quiet, But Hybrid Powertrain Reportedly Part Of The Package
For its part, Ford has declined to comment on the report’s validity. Still, the SUV aligns with Ford’s recently announced plan to deliver five new vehicles under $40,000 by 2030. The all-electric Fathom pickup truck reportedly ranks among them. It will start at $29,945 when it arrives next year.
Meanwhile, this unnamed SUV aims to draw in more mainstream buyers. The report claims Ford is weighing a hybrid powertrain for the engine lineup. A hybrid engine would let the model tap into renewed demand for hybrids. That demand would also hand it a strong selling point against rivals.
Ford’s New SUV Could Be Produced In Mexico
Ford’s ongoing silence also covers where it would build this SUV. However, three people with knowledge of the SUV and Ford’s broader plans spoke to AN. They revealed that the company plans to assemble the SUV at the Hermosillo Assembly Plant in Mexico. Assembly allegedly begins in 2029. That plant already produces the Bronco Sport and the Maverick pickup.
If this new model shares core essentials with either of those two vehicles, the automaker could slot it into the plant’s production line with minimal effort. Still, the company has not commented directly on the model. Given how early it reportedly sits in development, concrete details about the new SUV may stay under wraps for a few more years.