Ford Teases Three New Models Including The Escape, Explorer And Baby Bronco

Earlier this year, Ford held a presentation where they teased a handful of new models including the Bronco, Baby Bronco, Explorer ST and Mustang Shelby GT500. While that’s typically where the story ends, the automaker has released the full presentation and it’s packed with new – although slightly old – photos.

Kicking things off, the presentation includes pictures of the 2020 Escape and Escape Hybrid. Both models are shown underneath a sheet, but the images suggest the crossover will have a sportier roofline, an upward sweeping character line and a more rounded design.

The redesigned Escape has already been spotted by spy photographers and it expected to be offered with a handful of engines including a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder.  The model could also offer a 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder with up to 180 hp (133 kW).

Since we’ve already see the Explorer a handful of times, we’ll skip to the image of the so-called Baby Bronco. The original teaser showed the model’s front end, but this picture shows the crossover from the side.

The new perspective reveals a strong resemblance to the 2020 Bronco as both have a flat roof, a short hood and an similarly raked windscreen. While standard Bronco appears to be a two-door Jeep Wrangler competitor, the Baby Bronco has four-doors and will be noticeably smaller than its larger counterpart. The model also eschews the rear-mounted spare tire in what is presumably a nod to practicality.

Another interesting slide shows five crossovers and notes hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains will be offered across the SUV lineup. Ford has already confirmed plans to offer hybrid versions of the Bronco, Escape and Explorer, but there’s no word on which models are in the picture.

The two models on the far right appear to be the Explorer, so this could mean the model will be offered as both a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid. The image could also be a simple mockup without any specific meaning.

Getting away from the teasers, one of the slides confirms Ford will introduce four new nameplates. There’s no word on which models the company is talking about, but two of them are likely the Baby Bronco and the Mach 1 / Performance Battery Electric Utility.

The Focus Active could potentially count for another, while the rumored Fusion sport wagon might be the fourth. That’s far from certain at this point, but many of the company’s upcoming products – such as the Bronco and Ranger – are simply rivals and not new nameplates.