Ford: "Definitely a market for sedans"

Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Farley has decreed there is still a “huge market” for sedans in the global automotive industry, especially in the electric vehicle (EV) space. The revelation came out of an independent interview with a popular YouTuber, where it was hinted that Ford’s “skunkworks” affordable EV project could even don a traditional body style.

The interview in question was with Forrest’s Auto Reviews last month at the Laguna Seca raceway where Farley was asked directly for his thoughts on sedans and if they still had a place in the market.

“[There’s] definitely a market for sedans – huge market,” Farley said before referencing the financial losses involved in leveraging European platforms for the US.

“I’m trying to keep the company in its sweet zone, about Broncos and Mustangs and Raptors… we need money to do that.

“If you like Maverick, you like Bronco, those would’ve never happened if we kept making a Focus and a Fusion (Mondeo)… but now, since we have this really challenger skunkworks project for this affordable EV, the sedan silhouette turned out to be very clean aerodynamically.”

Farley then asked the viewers directly: “Should Ford do a rear-wheel drive, high-performance, affordable sedan with a really cool closure system in the back so you can carry a lot of stuff, as an all-electric [model] with incredible performance?”

“That’s the way I’m thinking about sedans.”

We don’t have the faintest whiff of a timeline for this ‘skunkworks’ model or the pick-up and crossover models that are anticipated to precede it.

However, Farley was oddly specific in his description of the fast four-door, so much so it sounds as if it’s already in the pipeline.

Regardless of what name the model emerges from is another big talking point, seeing as Ford has already set about repurposing some of its most iconic nameplates – i.e. Capri – for use on EVs.

Escort, Cortina, Fairlane, Falcon, Taurus, and Galaxie are all high-profile contenders, but there’s also no discounting the most famous of them all, especially if it’s a fastback… Mustang.

There have been rumours and reports of a four-door Mustang being in the works for a while now, with Farley himself even hinting as much last year.

“Could we explore other Mustang body forms – such as a four-door or similar? I believe we could, as long as these models possess all the performance and attitude of the original,” Farley told Autocar.

With the Mustang Mach-E already leveraging the Mustang nameplate as an electric SUV, there’s certainly precedence for some other ‘Mach-’ model to surface.

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