Ford Adding 4 All-New SUVs in Next 4 Years (Bronco?!?)
During the 2016 North American International Auto Show, Ford’s Mark Fields addressed the crowd of journalists at Joe Louis Arena and said there’d be four new SUVs in the coming years. He didn’t give a specific timetable, or what those vehicles might be. We now know that they’re all-new global SUVs, and they are going to be in segments that Ford doesn’t currently compete.
At a breakfast later this morning, Ford’s vice president of Marketing, Sales, and Service will tell the Chicago-area journalists that those four new SUVs will happen in the next four years, and that they’ll be in markets that Ford doesn’t currently compete.
That means that these new SUVs will actually be all-new, and not refreshes of current models. That means, friends, that one of those vehicles HAS to be the new Bronco.
While it’s not necessarily a smoking gun for a new Bronco, it does fit in the predicted timeline we recently shared of a Bronco and Ranger launch. Also, Ford is in quite a few SUV segments as it is, so there aren’t that many new ones for them to enter that wouldn’t include an all-new Bronco.
It also makes us wonder what those other three SUVs will be. We have an idea for one or two of them, in addition to the Bronco, that we’ll share with you over the coming days once we get a chance to talk to Ford directly.
Be sure to check out Ford’s complete release below to view all the succulent detains, and ambiguity, yourself.
After that, let us know what you think about this news over in the forums! As it turns out, Ford might have a very interesting Chicago Auto Show after all!
Ford to Add Four New SUV Nameplates as Millennials, Boomers, Global Demand Drive Continued SUV Growth
- Ford will add four new nameplates to its global SUV lineup in the next four years in segments in which company does not currently compete
- Millennials starting families lends strong support to ongoing SUV boom in the United States
- As baby boomers age, they’re more likely to stay in or return to SUVs
- Increased fuel efficiency of Ford’s newest utility vehicles makes consumers less sensitive to fuel costs
CHICAGO, Feb. 11, 2016 – Together, millennials and baby boomers give Ford 160 million good reasons to expect the surge in SUV sales will continue into the next decade.
In a breakfast address to the Midwest Automotive Media Association today, Mark LaNeve, Ford Motor Company vice president of Marketing, Sales and Service, explained why growth in SUV sales is expected to continue – not only in the United States, but around the world – and why Ford is adding four new SUVs in the next four years – all four in SUV segments in which the company does not currently compete.
“As members of the 80-million-strong millennial age group enter their prime child-rearing years, a leading indicator of more SUV sales, nearly 80 million aging baby boomers continue to prefer their SUVs,” said LaNeve. “It’s a demographic double whammy and it all points to one thing – more SUVs for the foreseeable future.”
LaNeve cited recent Ford research that shows once millennials even begin thinking about starting a family, their interest in shopping for SUVs goes up significantly. And as many have delayed starting families, these yet-to-form family households represent additional SUV growth opportunities for the company.
Yet millennials alone aren’t expected to drive SUV growth – aging baby boomers tend to stay with or return to SUVs, in part because it’s easier to get in and out of a vehicle that sits higher off the ground than a passenger car. LaNeve also noted that many boomers feel younger and more active driving an SUV.
While low gas prices have contributed to the growth in SUVs in recent years, much improved fuel efficiency in the latest generation of utility vehicles leads Ford to believe a potential rise in gas prices wouldn’t push consumers back to passenger cars.
“Some SUVs now rival the fuel efficiency of V6-powered midsize sedans from only a few years ago,” said LaNeve, “and as baby boomers grew up with much less capable, much less efficient vehicles, they tend to appreciate the efficiency of Ford’s newest SUVs.” Even if gas prices go up, he added, refueling costs for owners of modern SUVs will be much less than they were during the last SUV boom.
