Ford released teaser photos of several new models at an event Thursday, after it announced plans to revamp the majority of its lineup by 2020.
The company continues to shift its focus to where it has typically been strong, in trucks, high--performance vehicles and SUVs. These higher-margin vehicles tend to deliver the cash Ford needs to improve fitness and profitability. That cash will allow Ford to make the considerable investments needed to develop new mobility technologies, such as electrified vehicles and autonomous vehicles.
Ford is reallocating $7 billion in capital from cars to SUVs to take advantage of the recent shift in consumer tastes that automakers and some industry watchers think may be permanent. By 2020, Ford thinks SUVs could account for 50 percent of all vehicle sales. It estimates its own SUV sales to grow 20 percent, twice the industry average, by 2020, the company said.
Ford is also beefing up the lineup of its performance division, which includes high-powered and sporty models, such as its ST-badged vehicles. It plans 12 new performance models by 2020, including at least two new SUVs.
Here is a look at some of what Ford released. Some details or specs were not disclosed.
The upcoming Ford GT500
Mustang is one of the best-selling sports cars in the world, and the GT500 has historically been one of the most powerful versions customers can buy.
The Ford Explorer ST
The Explorer is a popular model for Ford, and the company is introducing a performance version. The higher performance ST badge is found on several cars now, such as the Focus and Fiesta, and was recently added to the Ford Edge, a midsize SUV. Automakers are offering high-performance SUVs as customers increasingly favor those vehicles for their higher ride height and flexible storage capacity.
An unnamed off-roader
Ford is planning to release another off-road capable small-size SUV that is yet to be named. The picture above shows a partial view of the vehicle. The company is not releasing any other details on it at this time.
The Bronco
This is the best view of the upcoming Ford Bronco the company is willing to release. It previously announced it is working on a new version of the iconic badge, but is keeping lips sealed on further details.
Ford is also developing a SUV with an electric battery, but it is not releasing any pictures or details on that at all.
Correction: The higher performance ST badge was recently added to the Ford Edge. An earlier version misstated the model.