The Mustang Mach-E may not be the only new Ford SUV with an iconic name to be built in Mexico.
It’s no secret that Ford is reorganizing its production base in North America and plans to use the excess capacity created by axed subcompact and compact sedans to introduce new pickups and SUVs. In Mexico, for example, Ford is said to be preparing the Hermosillo facility in the state of Sonora for the production of the Transit Connect van as well as a new off-road SUV built on the 2020 Escape platform.
We’re talking about the “baby” Bronco, obviously, which apparently will be called Bronco Scout if a report from Autonews Mexico turns out to be accurate. Billed as the off-road version of the 2020 Escape, the Bronco Scout will cater to more adventurous buyers as it will offer more rugged hardware, greater ride height, as well as a boxier design.
Related: All-New Ford Bronco’s World Debut Confirmed For Spring 2020
The Ford Bronco Scout is believed to target the Jeep Compass (another Mexican-made SUV) and other compact-sized SUVs with off-road capabilities. The automaker has not officially confirmed the manufacturing of Bronco Scout at its Mexican plant, but people familiar with the project estimate that production could start in the last quarter of 2020.
The aforementioned report also claims suppliers will soon start assembling parts for the new SUV. For example, Gestamp, a Spanish manufacturer of chassis and body components, confirmed that it will build about 10 components for the new Escape and Edge platforms at a new plant in San Luis Potosí, 40 percent of which will be sent to the Hermosillo plant where the Bronco Scout will allegedly be made.
Ford’s Mexican factory currently builds Fusion and Lincoln MKZ sedans, and it’s unclear whether the two models will be discontinued before the start of production for the baby Bronco.
We’ve reached out to Ford’s PR people for comments and we heard back from Jiyan K. Cadiz, North American Icon Communications and Media Relations Manager. “While Bronco will have its world debut in spring of 2020, we will talk more about the rugged Ford SUV at a later date,” he told us via email. As for the alleged Bronco Scout name, the executive said it couldn’t be used in the United States since the trademark for International Harvester Scout is still active with the USPTO.
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