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BY Motor Trend
By now, you've probably heard Ford is axing most of its cars here in the U.S. in favor of SUVs and trucks. Ford will offer a Focus Activ crossover hatchback, but the Mustang is the only true traditional car that will survive. Now the automaker is focused on capitalizing on the Mustang's brand value by introducing an electric SUV that will borrow styling cues from the pony car. And while Ford hasn't released many details on this vehicle, Autocar may have unearthed a few nuggets of information about the model's underpinnings.
According to Autocar, the crossover will sit on Ford's C2 platform that underpins the new Focus. Because it's based on the front-wheel-drive C2 platform, it's likely the new model will be hatchback-like with a slightly raised driving position, the U.K. publication says. Autocar does not cite sources for its info, so take this report with a grain of salt.
It's unclear exactly what Ford will call this new model, but it teased the name Mach 1 at the Detroit auto show back in January. For now, its codename is CX430 and it is a globally engineered model. The crossover will debut next year, Autocar says. Ford hasn't announced powertrain specs, but the model is being dubbed a performance SUV. Expect range to exceed 300 miles on a single charge.
The new vehicle is part of Ford's plan to introduce 16 battery-electric vehicles by 2022. Eventually, Ford will have hybrids or plug-in versions of just about every vehicle in its lineup. By 2021, Ford hopes to be the number one producer of hybrids.
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