During a speech at the 2016 Chicago auto show, Mark LaNeve, Ford’s VP of marketing, sales, and service, stated that the automaker sees no signs of the SUV and crossover boom abating within the next decade. To meet rising demand in America and abroad, then, Ford plans to introduce four new SUV models within 48 months, all of which will slot into segments currently uncontested by the Dearborn-based company. We’ve also confirmed that all four will wear nameplates not in circulation in the global Ford fleet.
A subcompact crossover is the most obvious new addition to the lineup, given the scorching-hot status of that segment, which includes entries like the Chevrolet Trax, Jeep Renegade, and Mazda CX-3. Ford has sold the Fiesta-based EcoSport overseas for a few years now, so it has experience with such a model, even if it will arrive late to an increasingly crowded party in the U.S. It’s also our understanding that not all of the new SUVs will be sold wearing blue-oval badges, which means Lincoln is in the running for at least one. The luxury brand has a hole in its lineup between the two-row MKX and the truckish Navigator where a larger three-row crossover would take on the Acura MDX, Infiniti QX60, Audi Q7, etc. The goofy-looking MKT doesn’t count, as it’s heading for the chopping block.
As for the third, we’re confident that it will be a reborn Bronco. Fitting Ford’s announcement, the nameplate has been hanging on a peg ...