With reports from Truck Yeah claiming Ford has four new SUVs in the pipeline, the mind naturally wanders to visions of Broncos dancing in our heads, but is that the best move for Ford, or for enthusiasts? Here are four SUVs I think Ford should build, both for us and for them.

Ford EcoSport

This has been rumoured for a while, but it looks like the market is finally ready for subcompact crossovers. It really should be, given it was ready for the Acura ZDX, but that's beside the point. The segment was pioneered by Nissan with their quirky but likable Juke and Chevrolet followed with a more mainstream Trax. Honda and Mazda will be introducing the HR-V and CX-3 to add more competition, indicating they all see the sector as a growing opportunity to increase sales using platforms already available to them.

Ford is even already producing the EcoSport in India, though significant changes would have to be made to conform with US safety regulations. With prototype vehicles already being spotted outside Ford’s Dearborn HQ, it seems like more a matter of when than if the EcoSport debuts in the states.

For enthusiasts, the EcoSport will likely not be too sporty, nor will it be very practical for hauling things or people, but it will be lightweight, efficient, inexpensive and easy to park. If you’re looking for a commuter car that has a bit more ride height than a Fiesta, this could provide the perfect alternative and leave you enough money for your project car.

Ford Expedition

My neighbour owns a Ford Expedition with more than 225,000 miles on the body and engine and he loves it. Working in construction, he loves its reliability and hauling capacity for his trailer and tools, but having three kids, he needs the extra rows of seating to take them and their families around for the holidays. The Expedition is really the perfect vehicle for him, but faces strong competition from the likes of GM's Tahoe/Suburban/Yukon SUVs.

The current generation expedition has grown rather long in the tooth, being in production since 2007 though consistently receiving cosmetic and technical updates. The SUV received a more refined interior as well as Ford’s much-lauded EcoBoost 3.5L V6 engine in place of its old, inefficient 5.4L V8, which has garnered praise from Truck Yeah as being better than GM’s offerings, though the three collectively outsold the Expedition by more than 5:1 in recent years.

Even with the updates, Ford could extend some of the changes made to the F-150, making the Expedition lighter and stronger, helping the V6 achieve even better performance. The Expedition already out-tows the GM trucks, but making it a more compelling purchase might help eat into that unfavorable sales ratio. Speculation is that a new vehicle is already in the works and slated for a 2018 debut and, while I wouldn’t expect it to be a unibody like the newer Explorer, I do expect some significant changes and updates.

Ford Explorer Sport Trac

As the Honda Ridgeline sheds its SUV-with-a-bed shape in favor of more traditional pickup styling, the niche has just opened for an SUV that comfortably seats five while keeping your grimy stuff in the bed outside the cabin. The recent trend in pickups has been high-luxury and high-cost “King Ranch” edition everything, but I think a place still exists for a small bed SUV and sales figures back that up. Though firm numbers aren’t available, it’s estimated that Sport Tracs accounted for about 20-25% of Explorer sales during its lifetime. From 2001-2010, that means more than 462,000 Explorer Sport Tracs were moved at the low end of the scale.

Sure, it’s a niche product, but those are the types of vehicles that build followings for a brand. Enthusiasts enjoy a capable SUV that provides ample interior space and seating while preserving the utility of an exterior bed. You won’t be hauling any major cargo, but buyers in those industries will always lean toward the F-150 anyway.

Ford Bronco

Speaking of niche products with a cult following, the Bronco may be the ultimate example for Ford SUV fans. The same neighbour with the Expedition has a son who owned a classic Bronco and loved every minute of it, right until it was totaled and he couldn’t find another one. Guess what he moved on to? A 2-door Jeep Cherokee (JK model), which is basically the only modern vehicle akin to the Bronco.

Ford has a good record with enthusiasts, bringing us sporty versions of the Fiesta, Focus, Fusion, Taurus and hell, even the F-150 in recent years, and has produced one of the finest modern muscle cars in the new Mustang. They also stole most if not all of Acura’s thunder by debuting the new Ford GT, which makes the new NSX look like crumpled and flattened piece of colourful tin foil. So they’re no strangers to producing low volume cars because the public cries out for it, and they’ve been crying out for a new Bronco ever since OJ was in Isotoners (thanks, Kanye).

With regards to sales, the new Cherokee was a damp towel on the firey passions of compact off-road SUV enthusiasts, and the Nissan X-Terra and Toyota FJ Cruiser have been discontinued, effectively leaving the Jeep Wrangler as the only competitor in its class. The Wrangler moved an astonishing 250,000 vehicles in 2015 alone and even if the Bronco could take over where the FJ Cruiser left off and average 24,000 sales per year, it would be an achievement, and I think that number is low, given the vociferous nature of Bronco fans.

Technically, Ford could use the new F-150 chassis that they worked so hard to develop into a strong, lightweight titan of its class and either shorten it or just cap the bed as many Jalopnik readers suggested in a recent poll. Obviously more work would be required than that, but Ford could have crunched the numbers and figured that this would finally work. Here’s hoping we see a new Bronco in showrooms soon.