Ford’s SUV line-up uncertain as brand ‘prioritises’ utes and vans

Ford New Zealand is currently weighing up the future of its smallest SUV, the Puma. And with it, the brand’s SUV line-up could be reduced to just two nameplates. 

Asked about whether the fully electric Puma Gen-E EV is set for our market amid rising interest levels in affordable electric vehicles, Ford New Zealand managing director Annaliese Atina confirmed that the future of the full Puma line-up is currently under evaluation.

“There’s no solid updates [on Puma EV] I could give you. [...] It’s a commercial decision, so we are actually evaluating our line-up of Puma. So I don’t have anything solid to give you right now on that,” said Atina.

Atina noted that whilst the Puma “still plays a role in our portfolio” and “our dealers love the product”, the model’s future could be set by the forthcoming adoption of more stringent Euro 7 emissions regulations in Europe. 

“Everything’s moving to Euro 7, so we need to evaluate the whole feasibility for the market and the commercial decision behind whether it can still make sense to bring it in,” said Atina.

Atina noted that local Puma sales have dropped off in recent years. The compact crossover segment where the model resides is one of the most competitive in the market, with plenty of affordably priced new competitors from China entering the segment in the last 12 months.

“Yes, we need to have a portfolio of choice, and we need to also make sure that choice is there and it’s what Kiwis want. We’re seeing that yes, a portion of Puma sells. But we’re not seeing anything like we used to see on Puma,” Atina added.

Ford New Zealand recently dropped the Escape from its line-up. Should the Puma also depart, its passenger car line-up would only consist of the Everest and Mustang Mach-E, as well as the Mustang sports car. 

The current Escape and Puma both enjoyed a longer lifespan in New Zealand than they did in Australia. The latest Escape generation was never offered across the ditch, and the Puma was dropped in 2024. 

On the Escape, Atina noted that a replacement for the model could come down the pipe in the future. “Will we have a replacement for that segment at some point in time? Probably,” she said. 

Ford appears to be at something of a passenger vehicle crossroads. 

The brand has confirmed it will build a series of small cars in Europe with the help of new partner Renault. Ford CEO Jim Farley also recently said on the Spike’s Car Radio podcast that the brand is planning “an all-electric, affordable vehicle to compete with [Tesla] Model Y and Model 3.” 

Atina would not comment specifically on Ford’s future passenger vehicle plans, but noted that “Ford’s product cycle plan is very strong. I think Ford has a great track record of delivering successful products into the market.”

The managing director underscored that Ford New Zealand is going to “prioritise” where its strengths are, and that’s the commercial vehicle market. The Ranger is the best-selling nameplate nationally year-to-date. 

Ford is expanding its commercial vehicle line-up via the recent arrival of the Transit Courier and Transit Tourneo. The brand is also set to bring the fully electric Chinese-built Transit City to market, although timing has yet to be confirmed.

“It’s clear to see that the passenger market is fragmented,” said Atina. “It’s very hard to establish and win. So we’ve got to be really focused and prioritise where our strengths are, and our strengths are in light commercial vehicle. That’s where we will continue to invest in.

“I think we do have the right mix of product coming in, but again [as a] light commercial vehicle leader, we need to make sure that we continue to grow that and deliver what Kiwis need.”