We knew it would happen, but now it’s official.
Ford, in two very short paragraphs bookended by more spilled corporate ink over mobility and futurethink, has given me a reason to save my nickels and dimes for 2020.
The Bronco, like the Terminator, will be back.
(Oh, and the Ranger is coming back too.)
According to a release from Ford, the Dearborn automaker will bring a brand-new Ranger to market in North America in 2019, followed by the Bronco in 2020. The SUV’s rebirth, while born in Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan, could be a global affair, depending on how you read Ford’s release:
Ranger and Bronco Return
Ford is bringing back the Ranger midsize pickup truck to its North American vehicle lineup in 2019 and Bronco midsize SUV to its global vehicle portfolio in 2020. Both vehicles will be manufactured at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan.“We’ve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of The Americas. “Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup that’s Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4×4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city.”
Beyond the statement above, we’re still no closer to knowing anything about the Bronco beyond its Ranger bones and its intention to take on the venerable Wrangler. Will it be two- and four-door? Will it look the same as a Ranger ahead of the A-pillar? Could Ford stick a diesel in it to give off-roaders some extra torque? It’s all up in the air — or not, if Ford decides not to make the new Bronco a convertible this time around.
All I can say is this: Ford, if build it right, my checkbook will be ready in 2020.
Was there a monochrome appearance package available at some point for the Bronco?
Someone explain!
There was. The Nite is actually a monochrome appearance package with the decals. There was another package available on the XLT starting in 1993.
I knew about the Nite of course, this one must have been called a Brite?
I’m holding out for the Glo-worm appearance package…
But the Nite package was on the F-150 (the predecessor to the Lightning). I’ve never heard of one on the Bronco. But I have seen a couple of Broncos wearing body colored bumpers over the years.
That Bronco is wearing the forged Alcoa alloy wheels, the same ones that came on my ’95 F-150.
There was a Nite Bronco for 91/92.
Behold the glory:
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/this-bronco-nite-time-warped-from-1992-into-hasidic-bro-450955251
If the new Bronco doesn’t look like a Thai-Brazilian fusion $hitsandwich, I will buy a black one and make it a Nite.
I’m holding out for a two-tone treatment a la the 1985 Eddie Bauer:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/2a/56/bd/2a56bdd9776002a70469c1899983ad1c.jpg
And check out that interior!
https://static.cargurus.com/images/site/2014/07/21/13/56/1985_ford_bronco_xlt_4wd-pic-5435260214443666832-640×480.jpeg
*insert Homer Simpson drooling sound here*
That is the stuff right there. Maybe they’ll do a King Ranch Edition with some extra brown.
The lower color on the Eddie Bauer editions was called “Putty”, by the way. When I bought my ’95 (XLT SuperCab), I really wanted an Eddie Bauer, but they weren’t easy to find. There really wasn’t a whole lot to it, besides the paint, the emblems, the fiberglass cab steps, and the Power Stroke front bumper (I added one to mine, making it look like a ’96). I still see a burgundy Eddie Bauer regular cab occasionally, driving around town.
I saw a “jellybean” F150 once in Eddie Bauer colors but it was just a XLT. Kinda weird…
I’m still suspicious that the Bronco is just going to be a thinly reworked version of the Ford Everest, which is currently on sale in Australia.
http://edge.alluremedia.com.au/m/g/2016/05/titanium-exterior.jpg
Holy Durango Grand Cherokee!
@zoomzoomfan
It will be built on a SWB version of the Ranger/Everest platform
Makes sense Ford is entering the midsize pickup truck market. GMs resurgence has lifted the momentum for all comers in this space, and a rising tide lifts all boats.
Be very interesting to see what the Ranger is like when it arrives.
Agreed. Hope to see a small diesel offering as well. Before my V8 Dodge Dakota I had a Ranger Splash (extended cab, step side, short bed, 4.0l V6, 2WD auto). I really liked that truck except its lack of grunt. I think they geared it for quicker acceleration thus it ran out of steam in top gear and suffered from constantly gear hunting while towing. Keep in mind this was in ruler flat Florida! Given this was the same engine in the Explorer I never understood how people survived towing with that heavier vehicle.
It makes sense to return as the Section 187 Deduction [Hummer Loophole] no longer provides the massive incentive to purchase a pick-up/SUV with a GVWR over 6000lbs
I’m super excited for another legitimate BOF midsize SUV entrant, someone’s gotta keep a fire to the 4Runner’s toes! Curious to see what sort of interior space it will have. The last BOF Pathfinder is surprisingly tight width wise and poor second row legroom, significantly worse than the 5th gen 4Runner. Chevyrolet’s gonna be left out in the cold with its sad-sack CUV-ized Blazer.
Also curious to see what sort of powertrain it will get. 3.3L NA, 2.7L EB, 3.0L Diesel?
I could see Chevy maaaaaaybe bringing the TrailBlazer (aka Colorado 7) over from the global market to have an Everest competitor. But it’s a long shot, particularly if the Colorado ZR2 does well.
@Drzhivago138
Everest is bigger than the Colorado 7
They are relatively the same size. I went to both Holden’s and Ford’s sites and they are within a few centimeters of each other in height, length, width, and wheelbase. The Everest is longer by 1.5 CM. That is a little over half an inch in Freedom Units.
@Adam Tonge
The Everest is heavier and on the road looks bigger.
@Adam Tonge
Amended post. Everest looks bigger on the road and has a substantial
1000lb heavier kerb weight Or even heavier if taking the lighter 1758kg Colorado against the 2400kg Everest
Everest diesel curb weight: 2300 kg
Colorado 7 diesel curb weight: 2270 kg
So a large child weight difference
I think this thing is pointless and is going to flop.
Based on…?
The Ranger will be successful, both with individual buyers and with fleet users. The Bronco should be successful, too, especially if it’s practical (more practical than the Toyota FJ Cruiser).
@dukeisduke
Not that practical. Original one is similar to the FJ Cruiser
“’We’ve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive,’ said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of The Americas. ‘Ranger is for truck buyers who want an affordable, functional, rugged and maneuverable pickup that’s Built Ford Tough. Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4×4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city.’”
The usual ridiculous marketing-speak.
It was a bad press conference. They rented out the Joe for that paragraph and 30 minutes of dumb talk about battery powered taxis that run on the sweet smelling farts of Silicon Valley.
@Adam Tonge
One way to describe the old Bronco. ” Bronco will be a no compromise 4×4 Utility for thrill seekers ” Not the words they like hearing in Australia, but will have a niche in NA.
Ford Bronco here, did not last very long.
is there really any doubt it will have 4 doors?
Only among those who think those fan renderings are official.
It will have 4 doors because Daddy wants it to have 4 doors so he can justify it to Momma.
And because, y’know, the 2-door SUV market has been dead for 20 years.
Just because Ford is calling their next generic SUV appliance “Bronco” does not mean it’s back.
If it has 4 doors, it’s not a Bronco. If it doesn’t have a proper V8, it’s not a Bronco. More than likely Ford will make it very soft like the Explorer essentially making it a minivan without the convenience.
You literally just described an Explorer… why would they make another? I think its entirely believable that Ford already has a full deck of crossovers, and they see the Wrangler Unlimited selling like hotcakes (4Runner sales crested 100k last year as well IIRC), they see midsize trucks selling well, and they want a piece of the pie.
Do not feed the trolls.
Ford likes redundancy. They have two 5 person SUVs that can only tow 3500 pounds.
Why do they need two? One is sufficient.
Then again, Ford hasn’t made a good business decision in the past 10 years so why would this be any different?
Well they 100% confirmed that it will be BOF and aimed at the off-road segment, so I don’t know where exactly that leaves your theory.
The Edge and Escape both fit 5 people, but how many trolls can they fit?
Stop dissing trolls; they form negative emotional commitments with artifacts few of us could manage.
They’re the yin to fanbois yang.
Who says troll is an insult?
GM has at least five CUVs that tow 3500 lbs or less.
Terrain, Equinox, XT5, Trax, Encore, Envision.
FCA has three.
Cherokee, Renegade, and Compass
I don’t understand why this is a problem.
The Cherokee can tow 4500 pounds.
Facts aren’t something to be afraid of. They’re your friend.
Also, why did you list SUVs from numerous GM brands in response to me factually stating that Ford produces two SUVs that seat 5 and can only tow 3500 pounds?
Will there be an OJ Simpson edition? Or at least an admission that OJ Simpson singlehandedly caused the name to be changed from “Bronco” to “Expedition”/
Was it singlehanded, though? Ford had already used the Expedition name on a 1992 concept vehicle, the F-150 Eddie Bauer Expedition.
http://s.hswstatic.com/gif/1990-1999-ford-trucks-21.jpg
(Unfortunately, there seems to be no other information about this concept vehicle anywhere on the ‘Net.)
Paging Al Cowlings. Mister Alan Cowlings. Your car is ready.
Will the new Bronco be closer to the chopped F-150 of OJ infamy, or the Jeep-like Bronco of the 60s?
Technically it’ll be a Bronco II since it shares stuff with the Ranger. That being said, it’s supposed to be a Wrangler competitor. We’ll have to wait and see how far Ford goes with that though.
Could this be the new Bronco? The Everest is based on the current Ranger.
https://www.ford.com.au/suv/everest/
Kind of
@jcisne
Shortened wheelbase version of the Everest will underpin the Bronco. Everest is pretty heavy for an Off Roader coming in at 5300-5400lb