Ford is expected to showcase an expanded SUV lineup for Europe next week including an all-new small model and its new-generation Kuga with a plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
The new small SUV will be positioned between the automaker's Ecosport and the larger, compact-sized Kuga. It could be called Puma and will be built at Ford's plant in Craiova in Romania, which produces the EcoSport, analyst firm Inovev has said.
Ford is adding the new small SUV to win customers who want a sportier and more premium SUV with more equipment than the EcoSport, but do not need the size of the Kuga.
Ford will showcase the small SUV and Kuga at a big media event in Amsterdam on Tuesday that will be livestreamed.
Ford said it would "deliver significant electrification, commercial vehicle and SUV news" at the event but has not commented on future products that will be shown there.
Ford will not show a long-range electric crossover teased recently ahead of its planned 2020 launch, a source familiar with the automaker's plans for the event said. Some UK media reports had said it would be shown.
The Amsterdam event, which Ford calls "Go Further 2019," is an important showcase for Ford, which is skipping expensive auto shows in favor of standalone livestreamed events under the "Go Further" banner. Ford was absent from this year's Geneva auto show and last year's Paris show.
More SUVs are a key element of Ford's plan to turn around its money-losing European business. The automaker's current SUVs -- the Edge, Kuga (called the Escape in the U.S) and EcoSport -- accounted for a fifth of its vehicle sales in Europe last year.
SUVs and crossovers typically sell for more than hatchbacks such as the Fiesta small car and compact Focus, earning higher profit margins.
Mild hybrids
In Amsterdam, Ford will also show new mild hybrid versions of the Focus compact car and Fiesta small car. Both will go on sale next year. The cars will pair a three-cylinder 1.0-liter EcoBoost gasoline engine with a 48-volt belt-driven integrated starter/generator that both recovers energy and gives a small power boost.
Mild-hybrid drivetrains, like plug-in hybrids, reduce fuel consumption, and so CO2 emissions.
Ford said earlier this year that it will include one or more electrified options with every new-car launch.
Ford last year singled out the Kuga as being the only Europe-built passenger vehicle that made a profit for its European division in the second quarter of 2018. Ford builds the Kuga in Valencia, Spain.
The automaker's commercial vans were also profitable, the company said.
Big job losses
Ford is reviewing its European operations to reverse losses, which were $398 million in 2018. Restructuring includes cutting thousands of jobs and could include shutting down production plants. On Wednesday, the automaker said it would shut two car plants and an engine factory in Russia, exciting the country's car market.
Earlier this month, Ford said it will cut 5,000 jobs in Germany and an undisclosed number in the UK.
