NEW YORK -- Ford Motor Co.'s Special Vehicle Team will survive, Ford executive Mark Fields says. But the performance brand has been scaled back.

Going forward, Ford will offer one high-performance Mustang and one high-performance truck in its lineup, Fields said last week here at the New York auto show.

Ford expects to sell 5,000 to 10,000 units of each SVT vehicle annually, he said.

Fields, Ford's president of the Americas, wouldn't say what kind of truck is in the works or when it would debut. The Shelby GT500, the latest Mustang developed by SVT, is scheduled to go on sale this summer.

A two-vehicle stable is a departure from a year ago, when Ford said SVT eventually would have as many as five products, more than ever before. One of those was to have been the Ford Sport Trac Adrenalin in 2007. It later was canceled as part of the automaker's Way Forward restructuring plan.

That cancellation, plus other changes for SVT, had triggered apprehension over the performance brand's future. Fields tried to put those fears to rest.

"SVT isn't dying," he said. "Would I like to do more? Sure. But at the same time, we've got to balance our resources."

Fields acknowledged that SVT and Ford Racing's marketing groups have been combined. He described Ford's performance strategy as a three-pronged approach encompassing SVT, Ford Racing and "personalized performance" aimed at the tuner crowd.

Although SVT has been scaled back, Fields said he is "from the school that says performance vehicles make brands stronger."

"I believe they have a critical role in our Way Forward because they challenge our designers and engineers to excel, they excite our marketers, and they make a strong emotional connection to customers."

DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is looking to expand its high performance lineup, pondering SVT variants of its midsize Fusion sedan and Edge crossover vehicle, according to a report in the industry publication Ward's.

Such a move would reassure Ford enthusiasts who have seen the company scale back its high-performance stable and scuttle plans for SVT editions of the full-size F-150 pickup and midsize Explorer Sport Trac. Ford previously had showed concept versions of the F-150 SVT Lightning and Sport Trac Adrenalin, but it eventually decided not to put the vehicles into production.

At the moment, the new Shelby Mustang GT500 is the principal standard bearer for the SVT brand. The new 2007 model is so hot, it is already fetching Internet bids of $15,000 and more over the estimated $40,000 base sticker, even though the car has yet to go on sale.

Ford executive Mark Fields has said the company also plans to do a performance truck with SVT badging, but he didn't specify which model.

What this means to you: SVT may not be totally dead in the water after all.

Ford’s Special Vehicle Team, rumored to be on the ropes as recently as 90 days ago (“Is SVT RIP?” March 27), is showing some signs of life.

During a recent Ford product preview SVT chief Hau Thai-Tang assured us the Ford performance arm is alive and well, employs 60 engineers dedicated to developing SVT products, and is planning for the future.

For now SVT will soldier on with two SVT-badged products—one car, the 2007 Ford Shelby Mustang GT500 now on sale, and one truck. Thai-Tang is not revealing much about the truck, other than it will be based on the F-150 like its predecessor, the SVT Lightning. No timeline was revealed for production of the SVT truck, but it is not likely for the 2007 model year.

Thai-Tang says SVT is expanding, with future product falling into three segments:

Race-inspired performance, including vehicles like the Ford GT that appeal to automotive zealots (hint: If you read AutoWeek, you’re probably in this group).

SVT, the performance division as we know it, making traditional high-performance SVT-branded products such as the GT500 and the next Lightning.

Enhanced performance, offering appearance packages, some customization, minor engine and suspension modifications, and special wheels and tires. Vehicles in this group might not be badged as SVT products, but would be tuned by SVT and use a combination of Ford Racing parts and dealer accessories. Some past examples of this type of vehicle include the Bullitt and Mach 1 Mustangs built using the previous-generation Mustang.

The latter group is the one getting the most attention, because it represents the fastest-growing part of the market and a profitable area not previously tapped by SVT, Thai-Tang says.

SVT also will lend its expertise to other Ford divisions down the road, “but our focus is on Ford right now,” says Thai-Tang. Was Thai-Tang’s use of the word “focus” a hint of future product? Nah.