Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport: Names and Dates

Y’all excited about Bronco? Seems a few of you are, rushing rapturously to the computer every time a Blue Oval patent appears for an innovative removable top. The Bronco is indeed on the way, and with it a wide range of configurations and trims.

Joining it is a model born of a galaxy-brain moment at the Glass House: an Escape that’s not an Escape (but is). Yes, next year is shaping up to be a big one for the automaker, so let’s look at what we know about product timing and what words you’ll see emblazoned on fenders and liftgates/tailgates.

By now, pretty much all of you have read how the body-on-frame Bronco will sport two or four doors, with a roof that’s removable either in full or in pieces. It’s appearing late next year. A frame from Ford’s Q3 earnings report shows the model introduction pushed to the end of the year, perhaps beyond that. Without dates provided on the X axis, the product chart merely shows the sequence of introductions (or so one would assume).

You’ll see that the next-generation F-150 comes ahead of the “Mustang-inspired” EV crossover that debuts publicly on November 17th, as well as the Bronco pair. A source with knowledge of Ford’s product plans claims the Bronco will make its appearance in November or December, going on sale in January of 2021. The “Baby Bronco” will show up first, however, and perhaps much sooner than in the chart’s timeline. Our source claims an on-sale date of September or October 2020 for the Bronco-inspired, Escape-based compact crossover.

When it appears, expect the Baby Bronco to carry the Bronco Sport name. While earlier reports, based on a trademark filing, suggested a Bronco Scout moniker, that trademark was abandoned in September. Two months before the abandonment, Ford applied for use of the Bronco Sport name.

A Ford Authority piece from August called attention to the name swap, citing an internal source. Ours says the same. Ford, of course, has yet to confirm a name. Earlier this week, Motor1 published a photo of a completely naked Bronco Sport getting ready for production, so be sure to salivate over that. There’s no Bronco-inspired grille and fascia to be seen in the side-on shot, but the automaker makes it clear the little unibody will do its best to emulate its bigger, BOF brother. The bare-metal vehicle is twinsies with one seen in a photo taken at a dealer meeting earlier this year (see above).

Other recent trademark filings shows Ford plans to use, or is at least considering using, the Bronco Big Bend and Bronco Outer Banks names for its big boy. No specific Bronco Sport variants, sorry. A series of applications we’ve already reported on could be affixed to any vehicle from Ford’s truck division. Among them, Wildtrak, Badlands, Adrenaline, and Black Diamond. If these sound like they could find a home in the Ranger stable, you’re probably right.

While our source claims Ford has a heritage-tinged “Sixty Six” base trim in store for the Bronco, commemorating the model’s debut model year, this moniker hasn’t yet appeared in any trademark application.

[Images: Ford]