New ute is unlike anything seen before

Ford’s new ute is going to be unlike anything we’ve seen before, at least according to Ford’s global boss Jim Farley.

Ford announced in August a new Universal EV Platform, which it claimed to used 20 per cent fewer parts, 25 per cent fewer fasteners, require 40 per cent fewer workstations in the production facility and be 15 per cent faster to assemble when compared to a typical vehicle.

Vehicles built on the platform would use a lower cost Lithium-Ferro-Phoshate (LFP) battery, which would form part of the car’s structure. Ford claims this assembly process makes for a quieter cabin, improve interior space and lower the centre of gravity, improving handling.

Farley went as far as calling it a modern Model T moment for the brand.

The company also indicated a ute would be the first vehicle built on the platform.

Now Farley has spoken on the The Verge’s Decoder podcast and provided a little more detail.

“Our first body style will be a pickup, but it’s really not a pickup,” Farley said.

“I would say it’s a new silhouette. What I mean by that is that it has more room than a RAV4, the bestselling passenger car in the US. That doesn’t include its frunk and pickup truck bed. It is very fast, it’s rear-wheel drive, it’s super fun to drive, and it has a digital experience that no one’s seen—even in China.”

So to summarise, the coming EV ute will blend the practicality of a ute, with the passenger pampering of an SUV, dynamics of a sports car, the speed of an electric vehicle and the tech of a software defined vehicle … an impressive claim.

Ford has slated for production to start in 2027, with the vehicle expected to go global.

The Blue Oval is target a US$30,000 ($45,500) price tag for the mystery segment-bending ute.

It is also expected to be called the Ranchero, with trademark filings in multiple jurisdictions including Australia.

With production only a little more than a year away, expect more details to start trickling out over the next 12 months. Watch this space.