Ford has officially named its new mid-size electric ute ahead of an imminent reveal.
Dubbed the Ford Fathom, the US carmaker claims the name is purposely meant to stand out from the crowd and it aligns with the type of buyer it’s targeting with this vehicle.
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Pre-orders for the Fathom are set to open in the US in early 2027 and at this stage it’s unclear if right-hand drive production is on the cards, but there is a strong hint it will come Down Under.
What’s so special about the Ford Fathom?
The Ford Fathom is the first vehicle to be built on the US carmaker’s new Universal EV platform. It’s a modular architecture and a series of new vehicles will be based on it.
Ford has confirmed the Fathom will have a starting price of US$28,350 (~A$40,330), before on-road costs, with the standard-range battery in the US. This confirms Ford is planning to offer multiple battery configurations.
The Fathom’s starting price is also virtually identical to the Maverick hybrid ute in the US.
The US carmaker has also confirmed all versions of the Fathom will come with the following:
- Five seats
- Vehicle-to-load (V2L) capability
- Cargo bed
- Frunk
- Large central touchscreen
- Apple Maps integration
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
- BlueCruise semi-autonomous driving capability
What does the Ford Fathom look like?
At this stage Ford hasn’t officially revealed the exterior or interior design of the Fathom, but a number of camouflaged prototypes have been captured.
It showed the Fathom is notably smaller than the Ranger and more on par with the Maverick for size.
There’s a boxy silhouette with slab sides and a stubby glasshouse area.
No official details regarding the tub dimensions, payload, towing capacity, battery capacities, range, power or torque have been confirmed yet.
Will the Ford Fathom come to Australia?
At this stage Ford hasn’t confirmed whether the Fathom will be produced in right-hand drive.
The US carmaker has previously confirmed however that its Universal EV platform is capable of right-hand drive.
Ford has reserved the Fathom name in Australia to use on "motor vehicles, namely, gasoline and electric automobiles, pick-up trucks, vans, sport utility vehicles and their structural parts", according to the trademark filing. This sounds like the just confirmed Fathom and leaves the door open to an arrival in the future.
As it currently stands Ford doesn’t offer any electric ute in Australia. The now-defunct F-150 Lightning was never officially offered through local Ford dealers, though some were imported and remanufactured to right-hand drive by third parties.
The Ranger is by far Ford’s best-selling vehicle in Australia and it has been the best-seller Down Under overall for three consecutive years. It is now offered in a sprawling number of versions, including the Super Duty and plug-in hybrid (PHEV), but no fully electric offering is available.
If the Ford Fathom does come to Australia it will form as a rival to the KGM Musso EV, which is also built on a monocoque platform, rather than a tougher body-on-frame architecture, like the Ranger.
