- Ford plans five new cars and SUVs for Europe before the decade’s end.
- Future lineup will include a compact Euro-Bronco SUV and a Fiesta revival.
- It hopes rally styling and handling will win buyers from cheaper Chinese brands.
Ford’s European business has spent recent years shrinking faster than an Ozempic’d waistline. Now the company’s planning a comeback, and apparently the answer involves “rally-bred” styling and handling, Broncos, a Fiesta revival, and a direct fight against fast-growing Chinese automakers like BYD flooding Europe with affordable EVs and hybrids.
The company this week confirmed plans to launch five new passenger vehicles across Europe by 2029, including a Bronco SUV that riffs on the look and attitude of the US version, while being entirely unrelated. A single teaser image showed the Euro Bronco on the far left looking suitably tall and square. It will be built by Ford in its Valencia plant in Spain from 2028, offering a mixture of powertrain types.
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Before buyers can get their hands on the Bronco, though, Ford will launch a new small electric hatch that’s almost certain to revive the Fiesta name. It’ll be based on the AmpR Small platform and running gear from the Renault 5, and will be joined by a related electric crossover that’s effectively Ford’s answer to the Renault 4, and a replacement for today’s Puma Gen-e. Both will be built by Renault.
Two additional crossovers using multi-energy platforms are also in development and will hit showrooms by 2029. It’s believed that one will replace the petrol-powered Puma, while the bigger one will take over from today’s Kuga. The automaker didn’t detail the powertrains, but mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrids look likely. And finally, Europe is also getting its hands on the tough, work-ready Ranger Super Duty that’s already available in Australia.
Ford Can’t Win A Price War
So why the big push? A decade ago, Ford ranked among Europe’s biggest automakers. Today, it’s slipped badly after axing household names like the Fiesta and Focus while betting heavily on VW-based electric SUVs and crossovers such as the Explorer and Capri. Meanwhile, brands like BYD have stormed into Europe with aggressively priced EVs and rapidly rising sales.
Rather than trying to outfox China on pricing, which it knows it could never do, Ford’s strategy appears focused on personality – something CEO Jim Farley has already talked about. The company says every new passenger model will feature “rally-bred” character inspired by decades of World Rally Championship success with icons including the Escort RS Cosworth, Focus WRC, and Fiesta WRC.
Ford Europe boss Jim Baumbick told Autocar magazine the company wants to deliver unmistakably Ford driving dynamics, even when using partner platforms from companies like Renault. “We don’t just want to compete, we’re here to play to win,” he said.
The company’s also openly questioning Europe’s aggressive EV mandates.
“We don’t build vehicles to meet regulatory mandates; we build them for people,” Baumbick said. “The fastest route to zero emissions is the one customers will actually take. We can accelerate emissions reductions today with hybrid technologies that let customers drive electric whenever they can.”
Whether rally nostalgia alone can reverse Ford’s European slide remains unclear. But doing nothing isn’t an option, and making the most of your heritage – something Chinese buyers don’t have – seems like a good one.
