A few years ago, Ford made the decision to start dropping models from its lineup. The culling mainly took away traditional cars, which also resulted in Ford losing its most affordable vehicles. The Ford Maverick covered the gap for a while, until its price started climbing, as did the Escape, which is also going away. It seems Ford realizes it needs affordable options again, and has a new SUV on the way to address the issue.
Apparently It Looks Like An Old Escape, And It Will Cost $25,000
Ford reportedly announced this new SUV at a recent dealer meeting. That’s according to Automotive News, which cited multiple anonymous meeting attendees. The most important details are that it will be an SUV, offered with both combustion and hybrid powertrains, and it will have a price tag of around $25,000, which would undercut the Slate with the SUV top and seats. The news outlet reports that the styling shown was somewhat reminiscent of the original Ford Escape, though apparently none of the styling was fully finalized. Additionally, it won’t show up until 2029.
2005 – 2007 Ford Escape – front 3/4 angle Ford
We reached out to a Ford representative for confirmation. Unfortunately, the representative said that Ford wouldn’t comment on “speculation” about future products. So, we’re left with the report alone.
What It Could Be Like
Automotive News also reports that this new Ford SUV will be built in Mexico like the Maverick and Bronco Sport. That could mean the new SUV will be based on the same platform as those vehicles. If that’s the case, the new SUV could also use the engines offered in those two vehicles. To keep the price down, the turbocharged 1.5-liter three-cylinder from the Bronco Sport would probably be the entry-level engine, with the Maverick’s naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid. The former makes 180 hp and 200 lb-ft of torque, and the latter makes 184 hp. Front-wheel drive will almost certainly be standard, with all-wheel drive as an option, and the three-cylinder will probably have an 8-speed automatic and the hybrid an eCVT.
We wouldn’t rule out the possibility of a heavily revised platform for these vehicles, or even a completely new one. In 2029, the Bronco Sport will be nearly a decade old, and the Maverick only a year younger. That could even include new engines and transmissions that haven’t been announced yet. As another option, Ford could use the current platform for the affordable entry as a cost-saving measure, while the Maverick and Bronco Sport get upgraded to a new platform.
A Hybrid Will Keep It Relevant, Even If It’s A Little Late
It’s genuinely remarkable that Ford, the company that gave us the Model T, and so many affordable vehicles, only has one vehicle with an MSRP below $30,000. That’s the Maverick, and its MSRP is $27,145 before destination. Almost every mainstream automaker has vehicles in their respective lineups that have lower base prices, some by thousands, including Chevrolet. The Maverick did fill that niche for a while, but price increases pushed it out of the roughly $25,000 segment, meaning that Ford is now out of a sizable chunk of the market.
2026 Ford Maverick XL driving front 3/4 angle in grayFord
It’s also not great that Ford won’t have a competitor for this well-established segment for another three years. We don’t expect the segment to disappear, but it’s more time that Ford isn’t getting anything from the space, and other automakers may be developing relationships and reputations with buyers. The good news is that Ford’s plans to offer a hybrid should keep its eventual entry noteworthy, even in a few years. Bizarrely, the only small hybrid SUVs on the market with MSRPs below $30,000 are the Kia Niro and the Toyota Corolla Cross, with the latter topping $30,000 with destination. So if Ford can keep the hybrid version of this new SUV under $30,000, it could have an extremely compelling vehicle.
Source: Automotive News
