Ford is preparing to launch a chunky new ‘Bronco’ SUV in Europe, inspired by its iconic US-market 4x4 flagship.

Plans for the model were first discovered by Autocar, and Automotive News Europe has now reported that the new American-flavoured crossover will be produced in Valencia alongside the closely related Kuga.

Ford’s Spanish plant will build the new electrified crossover as an indirect replacement for the Focus hatchback/estate, which was retired last month after 27 years. Now further details have been revealed about this crucial new model, which is due in 2027.

It could be the first new car launched by Ford under the leadership of recently appointed Europe boss Jim Baumbick, under whom the company said it will look to “develop products relevant for European customers and drive faster, more efficient execution”.

As reported, the new SUV is set to share the Kuga’s C2 platform and will likewise be offered with plug-in hybrid power, in line with Ford’s strategy to continue with combustion engines in Europe following lower than expected demand for EVs. No pure-electric version is currently understood to be in the pipeline.

However, the SUV will be extensively differentiated from the Kuga by way of a completely bespoke design treatment that takes heavy inspiration from Ford’s US line-up – with the long-running Bronco 4x4 cited as a chief influence.

Ford is leveraging its American heritage in the design of its new European-market models as part of a drive to emphasise its origins and better stand out from rivals new and old – a treatment first deployed on the Explorer electric SUV, which features a similarly blocky, straight-edged silhouette to its larger US-market namesake.

So the new model – which is tipped to take the Bronco name – is likely to be a much more traditional ‘two-box’ SUV, compared with the Kuga, with upright proportions and a more rugged design that nods to the existing Bronco’s off-road ability.

Ford already sells a blocky mid-sized SUV in the US called the Bronco Sport and the unrelated Bronco New Energy EV in China, which give a good idea of what to expect.

Ford is employing a similar tactic to JLR, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota in channelling the spirit of its halo 4x4 for a more mainstream family crossover. Those marques will respectively launch downsized versions of the Defender, G-Class and Land Cruiser over the next two years.

The new Bronco will be less premium-focused than the similarly conceived ‘Defender Sport’ and ‘Little G’, though, because it has a crucial role to play in Ford’s plan to rebuild its significantly diminished market share in Europe.

Adding a new ICE-powered C-segment SUV will help Ford to compensate for the lacklustre commercial performance of the Capri and Explorer EVs. These two models have sold far slower than expected, prompting swingeing job cuts at the factory in Cologne, Germany, where they are built.

To that end, it will be sized and priced to do battle in Europe’s most popular car segment, facing off with some of the region’s biggest-selling models, including the Volkswagen Tiguan, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. Other natural rivals include the freshly launched Jeep Compass – another 4x4-inspired electrified family crossover – and the Skoda Kodiaq.