Despite a strong move towards more crossovers and trucks, Ford isn’t ditching all the good stuff its got going with its line of sedans. The latest is that the Blue Oval’s upcoming “baby Bronco” will take its underpinnings from the Focus four-door.

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The Full Story

Word has it Ford is planning a compact utility vehicle based on the Focus four-door sedan. The new model will come with additional off-roader styling cues compared to the Ford Escape, and thus expand the automaker’s range of crossovers even further beyond the current lineup.

That’s the latest, which comes to us courtesy of a recent report from Reuters. The report cites comments made by Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s executive vice president of product development and purchasing, who spilled the beans during a recent investor’s conference in New York.

For now, the new compact’s name has yet to make the rounds, but we do know it’ll come with retro styling reminiscent of Ford’s Bronco model from the 60’s, leading observers to dub it the “baby Bronco.” The “baby Bronco” will also pull mechanical bits from both the Escape and the Focus, which means it’ll likely come powered by a turbo four-cylinder engine.

The move is part of Ford’s efforts to streamline production through a variety of shared platforms and parts, and arrives hot on the heels of Ford’s decision to cut back on sedan model offerings, instead focusing much more heavily on crossovers and pickup trucks. Modular platform structures is the name of the game these days, and it’s all in the name of reducing price and development costs.

The “baby Bronco” will also join a mid-size model based on the Ford Ranger, and will offer a more “carlike” driving experience compared to the larger, off-road-friendly body-on-frame midsizer.

The new “baby Bronco” follows the Bronco concept revealed in 2004, and is essentially a more fuel-efficient compact with off-roading style.

Look for the fresh model to drop sometime in 2019 for the 2020 model year, at which time it’ll go head-to-head with models like the Subaru Outback and Jeep Renegade Trailhawk.

Further Reading

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Ford Bronco.

Read our full review on the 2005 Ford Bronco.

Read more Ford news.