Ford Hints at New Affordable Sedan
Ford CEO Jim Farley has hinted at the possibility of a new electric sedan. It is a high-performance model that could be built on a new electric vehicle platform. The company’s executive is confident that the sedan market remains very large.
Ford’s Future Plans
Ford’s product roadmap has recently undergone changes: the company has canceled or delayed a number of future models. Most of them were fully electric, including the cancellation of three-row electric vehicles, and production of the F-150 Lightning pickup was recently suspended – at least temporarily.
Despite this, Ford is not going to abandon electric vehicles. On the contrary, the company is working on a mid-size pickup, scheduled for launch in 2027, which will use a completely new Universal Electric Vehicle Platform. Subsequently, this platform will form the basis of an entire “family of affordable cars.”
This family could include a rear-wheel-drive, high-performance, yet affordable sedan. This is exactly what Jim Farley hinted at in a video published recently but filmed several months ago during Monterey Car Week.
The Return of the Sedan?
The executive said little but made it clear that this mysterious model has a clean silhouette, as well as a “cool closing system” at the rear that allows for carrying a lot of things. This hints that the car could be a sedan-liftback, expanding its appeal in the crossover era.
More about the car is not yet known, but Ford has been hinting at a Mustang sedan since 2022. It has also been reported that the company showed dealers a rendering in 2024, and this is likely what Farley is talking about.
“Undoubtedly, a market for sedans exists, and it is huge.”
He noted that previous generations of Ford sedans failed in America because they were built on European platforms to European standards. This resulted in expensive cars that cost the company a lot of money.
Strategic Changes in the Model Lineup
Farley also noted that the Bronco and Maverick would never have appeared if the company had continued producing the Fusion. He explained that the funds from passenger car sales were invested in other directions. This move proved wise, and Ford focused on the “sweet spot” with the Bronco, Mustang, and Raptor.
In another part of the interview, Farley expressed admiration for the Chinese electric car Xiaomi SU7. He also talked about his dream of creating an off-road supercar.
He described it as a car for the World Rally Championship (WRC), but for four people, or something like a Raptor R without a pickup body. Such a model would be partially electric and have around 1000 hp.
Challenges Ahead
For now, this is just talk, and Ford faces challenges in implementing its plans. In addition to setbacks with electric models in America, the relaunch of the company’s European business, relying on rebadged Volkswagens, is also not going smoothly. This is compounded by 138 vehicle recalls, and their number continues to grow.
Reports of a possible affordable, high-performance sedan are emerging at a time when many manufacturers are focusing on crossovers and SUVs. This may indicate Ford’s attempt to fill a niche they themselves vacated several years ago. The success of such a model will depend not only on technical specifications and price but also on the company’s ability to effectively execute its plans amid current organizational and technical challenges. The electric sedan market is gradually heating up, and the emergence of a new player from a major American brand could significantly intensify competition.