Ford announces five new models, including the Bronco for Europe, but will Australia miss out on the new BYD baiting electric and hybrid models?

Ford has announced a plan it hopes will win back European buyers by launching five new “rally bred” small cars before the end of the decade.

In an ambitious attempt to regain the large share of Europe’s market it once had, Ford is playing the performance card hoping its historic connections to motorsport and adventure will appeal to buyers.

“Ford has more than a century of racing heritage particularly in the world of rally, Europe’s native racing format,” the announcement said.

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“Combining that off-road DNA with on-road performance, Ford will create rally-bred vehicles tailored to Europe.”

The announcement launches a new campaign centred around the slogan 'Ready Set Ford' and promises to bring new models in areas that Ford believes are its strengths, those being 'Build, Thrill and Adventure', according to the brand.

All this is happening as Chinese brands such as BYD flood the market with electric and plug-in hybrid cars.

Ford’s announcement is high on slogans and promises it’s low on details, although five new models have been confirmed including a baby Bronco off-road SUV to be built in Spain in 2028.

The baby Bronco will be a 'multi energy' model according to Ford’s statement, suggesting it will be offered in several variants, possibly hybrid and fully electric.

Also revealed in Ford’s announcement was the coming of a new fully-electric small SUV described as having “rally bred design language and drive dynamics in an urban-friendly package”.

Two more sporty multi-energy models will also be launched - so called 'rally-bred' SUVs or crossovers. These will join and complete Ford’s new European passenger car line-up by 2029.

The new models could see the revival of the Fiesta and Focus nameplates. Both models were axed within the past five years as Ford redirected its energy to SUVs.

Ford’s ambitious strategy is designed to combat the current threat from new rivals the company faces in Europe. Small affordable electric and hybrid cars from Chinese carmakers are rapidly growing in popularity and Ford has seen its share in the European market dwindle from about nine per cent to less than four per cent.

Will Australia see any of these new Ford models? It’s possible given some will be produced in right-hand drive for the UK.

Ford may also need to review its skeletal offering in Australia, given the local downturn in the off-road ute market that it relies on heavily for sales.