Ford Mustang Baja ‘still in the works’ - report
An expanded stable of Ford Mustangs is set to include an off-road focused, Baja-badged variant, sources have indicated.
The Ford Mustang family was once reserved for a two-door model line, stemming from the preeminent pony car, but that has evolved and will continue to do so.
From the Mustang Mach-E electric SUV which launched half a decade ago, to reports of a four-door Mustang sedan coming in the near future, Ford is keenly utilising its most recognisable badge to score more sales from a wider market, and it apparently isn’t stopping.
In a video posted to YouTube by Automotive News, Mike Martinez – one of the outlet’s reporters – reiterated Ford is developing a ‘Mustang Baja’, something he says is “still in the works” after first being reported two years ago.
At the time, the reports spoke of the Baja version, the sedan (expected to be called Mach 4), and a factory-made, four-cylinder Mustang RTR, the latter of which has some to fruition and only recently started rolling down the production line.
Ford CEO Jim Farley has often teased the brand’s next ‘supercar’ will be based on its off-road Raptor division, while it’s been rumoured this could include technology and parts from the Mustang GTD.
It’s not yet known what form the Mustang Baja could take, whether it be a jacked-up version of the coupe or something completely different, though it’s expected to deliver on Ford’s desire to be the king of the off-road market.
Jordan Mulach
Recently, Ford of Europe announced an ambitious plan to launch five new passenger vehicles in the region by 2030, claiming all of its vehicles would combine the region’s desire for “off-road DNA” with on-road performance to create “rally-bred” cars and SUVs.
Given the success of the off-road Ford products in the US, it’s understood the business case for the Mustang Baka is strong.
In the US, Ford’s off-road variants (including the Bronco Badlands) account for about 20 per cent of its overall sales.
“No one’s ever built a supercar for gravel, high-speed sand, dirt,” Farley has previously said. “I’m thinking really deeply about it, and usually that turns into something.”
“These Raptor people are telling us something. They’re not stupid. They’re really smart people. They spent US$120,000 on an 800-horsepower pickup truck.”
