Electric Ford Puma coming to Australia, Escape to be axed

The upcoming new Ford Puma EV is confirmed for Australia

Ford, the traditional Detroit iron giant, is in a state of transition, pouring billions into the rapid development of advanced technologies and electric mobility.

Change is coming for Ford here, too. Speaking on the brand's local electrification roadmap, Australian CEO Andrew Birkic told media recently: “we will be bringing in an electric Puma”, and “the Escape nameplate will be leaving Australia by the end of the year”.

Birkic confirmed that entire Escape range will leave, including the only recently launched PHEV model.

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Above: The Ford Puma

“We’re making some decisions around our line-up and we believe [Puma] is the right investment for us”.

“Puma has done well, it’s one that continues to win awards… so we know that that’s certainly an important play for us in the future”.

The news comes after the Escape PHEV was launched in 2022, arriving as Ford Australia’s first electrified model – a significant milestone in its pledge to launch five electrified models locally by 2025.

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Questions hung over the Escape's future as a major 2023 facelift revealed in October last year was met with a conspicuous “no news” response from Ford’s local outpost.

Today's news is the first time Ford has commented on then Escape since then – and now it's clear why.

Initially launched locally in late in 2020, the current Ford Escape is a comparatively small player in the bustling mid-size SUV market. Indeed, it was excluded from our recent Best Medium SUVs testing on the grounds that it was not up to the standard of its rivals.

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When the electric Puma arrives, it will join the Mustang Mach-E and e-Transit in Ford's growing electric line-up, with a smaller e-Transit Custom already confirmed for a 2024 arrival.

Of course, the smaller Puma is no like-for-like substitute for the larger mid-sized Escape, and the decision hasn’t come easy to those at Ford.

Speaking with Wheels, Birkic stressed, “we’re an emotional brand, and we love that… we don’t make those nameplate decisions lightly. It goes through a very rigorous process with multiple factors.”

“What we’re offering is quite a comprehensive line-up in terms of SUV performance, but also for families.”

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Is Ford exiting the hugely popular medium SUV segment?

With questions looming over a potential gap in Ford’s critical two-row mid-size SUV segment, it’s possible that Ford Australia will look to the Mach-E to spearhead the brand’s electrified five-seat SUV offerings.

For its part, Ford isn't commenting on that one for now.

What do we know about the electric Ford Puma?

Not much.

The electric Puma isn't expected to be revealed until sometime in 2024, so local details, including specific timing and price, are yet to be locked in.

Based on such a timeline, it would be reasonable to expect the electric Puma in Australia no earlier than mid-2024 or possibly even 2025.

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It will be underpinned by a development of Ford’s Global-B architecture, the same platform as the current petrol-powered Puma.

It’s believed that the light crossover is being produced in tandem with Europe’s forthcoming small Ford Transit Courier van that forms part of Ford Europe’s nine-pronged battery-electric assault set to deploy by 2024.

Battery and powertrain details will be made public closer to its reveal.

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