Ford Teases Shelby GT500, Bronco, And Two New SUVs

Ford just released an extended outline of its product plan for the next few years, including a good deal of info on its line of SUVs, trucks, and off-roaders. The release also gives us a preview of the Mustang’s battery-assisted future, not to mention a slew of shadowy teaser images that includes a glimpse at the front end of the new Shelby GT500.

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The Full Story

What’s The News?

Ford is currently gearing up to release a bevy of new models for the North American market by 2020. All told, the Blue Oval is looking to replace upwards of 75 percent of its lineup, adding in four new trucks and SUVs, as well as several new hybrids and an all-electric model as well.

The fresh hybrids will include revamped versions of the Mustang, Explorer, Escape, and Bronco. Ford says the extra tech will focus on expanded capability and practicality for SUVs, while performance will see a bump in the Mustang.

Tell Me More About The Mustangs

That’s right, Ford has once again confirmed that a hybrid Mustang is on the way. Chew on that for a second.

In addition to reminding us about the upcoming electrified pony car, Ford also released a shadowy teaser image showing a snake badge on a Mustang grille, complete with go-fast stripes on the hood (see above). This, of course, is a preview of the upcoming Shelby GT500, which should produce upwards of 700 horsepower, making it the most powerful street-legal production car that Ford ever made.

What About The Other Hybrids?

“Hybrids for years have been mostly niche products but are now on the cusp of a mainstream breakout,” says Ford president of Global Markets, Jim Farley. “The valuable capability they offer - plus fuel efficiency - is why we’re going to offer hybrid variants of our most popular and high-volume vehicles, allowing our loyal, passionate customers to become advocates for the technology.”

Ford says its future hybrid systems will be both more frugal with the dino juice and less expensive to produce, which should help it bring the tech across multiple segments, as previewed in this release.

The company’s first BEV in the utility segment is slated for arrival by 2020, heading into the fray as the first of six all-electric vehicles Ford plans to introduce by 2022.

Ford is investing some $11 billion into the drive systems tech, also promising a redesigned ownership experience that should include easier charging and seamless over-the-air software updates.

What’s The New Tech All About?

Infotainment and cutting-edge features are a big part of the value proposition these days, and Ford says it’s building up the open platform Transportation Mobility Cloud to “empower tomorrow’s mobility systems.” As such, all new Fords will get 4G LTE connectivity by the end of next year, and the new Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist technology package will come bundled with standard automatic emergency braking.

What About Ford’s Trucks And SUVs?

Following the arrival of the aluminum-bodied F-150 in 2014, the iconic workhorse will receive further updates over the next few years, including a new 3.0-liter Power Stroke diesel powertrain option, as well as updates for the F-150 Raptor. Also expect the return of the Ranger, a new F-Series Super Duty, and hybrid powertrains with a mobile generator option.

Ford also foresees significant growth in the SUV segment. To that end, $7 billion is being reallocated from cars to SUVs, with eight different models heading to the segment by 2020. Five of these will have hybrid powertrains, while one will be all-electric. Look for a new Edge ST coming later this year, after which Ford will release an Explorer ST model.

The brand’s off-roaders will also get a boost thanks to a new Bronco and an as-of-yet unannounced small utility vehicle, the latter of which could be a smaller version of the Bronco or even an off-roader version of the Edge.