Ford will build the upcoming Mach 1 electric SUV on their C2 platform used for the new Focus.
Codenamed internally CX430, Ford’s electric crossover will be a globally engineered model set to be revealed next year and with sales kicking off in 2020.
The Ford Mach 1 will sit alongside the next-generation Escape/Kuga SUV in the range, according to Autocar, and since it will be based on the C2 platform, it’s expected to come with a more on-road character –which is the case with all electric SUVs anyway.
The C2 front-drive platform is said to be flexible enough, giving Ford many options in wheelbases, track widths and firewall heights. This allows it to spawn a large variety of models, much like VW’s MQB platform.
Ford’s all-electric SUV is dubbed Mach 1 as a reference to its Mustang-inspired styling. In fact, the company might create more crossovers with Mustang design cues in the near future.
Last month Ford made a surprising announcement, saying it will stop selling cars like the Fiesta, Fusion, Focus and Taurus in the US, focusing instead on the more profitable SUVs and pickup trucks. Ford will continue offering the Mustang, as well as the Focus Active, which is a jacked-up version of the normal hatchback with SUV styling.
And while the Fusion will bite the dust in the US, its European sibling the Mondeo is expected to soldier on up until the mid-2020s. Ford Europe is planning to introduce a heavily updated version of the Mondeo this fall that will include a new diesel engine, a new interior featuring a tablet-style infotainment screen and smaller revisions on the outside.
