The Wraps Stay On: Virus Scrubs Ford Bronco Debut

The most anticipated new vehicle launch of 2020 will not go ahead as planned. Not unexpectedly, the debut of the (very) long awaited Ford Bronco, expected in the middle of next week, is now on the back burner.

Ford made the announcement Friday morning amid a rapidly growing crackdown on public gatherings and other measures aimed at halting the spread of COVID-19.

As reported by The Detroit News, word of the delay came during a conference call. “We have postponed it, and it will be rescheduled as soon as possible,” said company spokesman Mark Truby.

Earlier today, Ford, along with Fiat Chrysler and General Motors, placed new restrictions on domestic employees, restricting travel and instigating a work-from-home policy among white-collar staff. The big Bronco debut was to have taken place next Tuesday and Wednesday, encompassing a number of media events.

Returning to the lineup after a quarter-century’s absence, the Bronco ( spied earlier this week sans camo) was to see its March debut followed up soon after by the Bronco Sport – a similarly styled but unrelated unibody model based on the Escape. That model also leaked to the internet this week.

When either of these two models will see the light of day, and where, remains to be seen. The upcoming New York International Auto Show, originally scheduled for the second week of April, also fell victim to the coronavirus outbreak, so that venue’s clearly out of the running. An online launch for both seems likely.

There shouldn’t be too long to wait before we learn more. Ford will want to get all of the Bronco hype (and reservations) out of the way before it unveils its next-generation F-150 later in the year.

[Image: Ford]