The first product of the partnership between Ford and the VW Group is reportedly going to arrive in the market in 2023, in the form of an electric SUV based on the underpinnings of the VW ID.4.
The upcoming electric SUV, which will sit underneath the Mustang Mach-E in Ford’s lineup, will be produced at the carmaker’s new Electrification Center in Cologne, Germany.
Read Also: Ford Is Letting Its Fans Design And Name A New Limited-Edition Puma ST
VW ID.4
It will also be the first Ford model to use VW Group’s MEB platform, and more specifically the longer version found in the ID.4, and will offer a range of battery sizes, and powertrain layouts just like its German cousin.
Autocar reports that the new electric Ford SUV, which is set for a reveal in the first half of 2022 before launching in the market in 2023, will be a significant departure from the design of the Mustang Mach-E.
Ford of Europe boss Stuart Rowley said that the carmaker is going to leverage its American heritage for its future models, and that is going to include the new MEB-based electric SUV. That could also explain why earlier spy shots of a covered prototype revealed a rather boxy outline, instead of the softer lines of both the ID.4 and the Mustang Mach-E.
“Ford is the only American brand in Europe now and that’s a unique position that we can build on. A lot of people are attracted to some of those characteristics and only Ford can bring products like that to the market,” Rowley said, hinting that US models like the Bronco and Explorer could be used as inspiration for the design of new European models.
The interior of China’s Ford Evos
In addition, the interior of the MEB-based Ford SUV is said to be inspired by the Chinese-market Evos crossover. The Evos features a giant 4K infotainment display across the top of the dashboard. Ford is also working with Google and will have all of its models fitted with an Android-based operating system, and the new electric SUV could become one of the first to feature it.
Rowley also said that “Ford has and will have its own global battery-electric platforms and we will use some of those in Europe also”, suggesting MEB-based models will be just a part of the brand’s European model range and not the norm.
