The Ford Bronco (probably) launch thread
Discussion
Apparently a manual transmission will be offered, including an exceptionally low gear for crawling.
article
https://www.thedrive.com/news/32417/its-looking-li...
It would be a pity if Bronco should not come to Europe.
In favour of a European Bronco is the news, last year, that Ford is organising a large portion of the company around "families" of related vehicles -- with Bronco and Mustang being the two principal poles, if you will:
https://www.motortrend.com/news/ford-creating-fami...
Mustang GT, Mustang EcoBoost, and (soon) Mustang Mach-E are configured for Europe, in both LHD and RHD. It's not too great a stretch, I would imagine, to say that some form of Bronco will indeed be available in Europe.
We are of course talking about the mid-sized Bronco that is the leading topic of this thread.
There is also the small Bronco Sport (formerly referred to as Baby Bronco), that will be built on the platform of Ford Kuga. Some Bronco Sport commentary also appears in this thread. It seems likely that Bronco Sport will be sold in Europe, albeit without the off-road kit fitted to its larger sibling.
Given the "families" architecture noted above, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a mid-sized Bronco in Europe.
Two photographs have leaked.
The composition of these photos and the way in which they were leaked seem, to me, to suggest an intentional act by the marketing team at Ford. The company had already said that it will reveal the entire vehicle in March (and I suspect no later than next week).
The leaked photos provide a glimpse of the mid-sized body-on-frame Bronco (and not the small unibody Bronco Sport). As we already know, the roof is removable on both the four-door and two-door mid-sized Bronco.
article here
https://carbuzz.com/news/leaked-2021-ford-bronco-c...
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rear view of four-door Bronco
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side rear view of two-door Bronco
Edited by unsprung on Friday 6th March 17:45
Pretender, lol. That could be an entire thread by itself: How we sometimes mock the things around us, even if we might at times also appreciate those things.
I'm looking forward to seeing them out and about, the 90 in particular. I wouldn't have minded less of an "angry eyes" design to the face, but that's just my two cents.
Regarding Bronco:
If the design of the 2021 Bronco has any elements of heritage, these will be, as 300bhp/ton says, mostly about the Early Bronco (EB) and not too much from the era of the Full-Sized Bronco (FSB).
The EB has all the charm, right?
In a country that likes to err on the side of "full sized"
, a relaunch in the mould of the FSB would be a disappointment. Nowadays there's loads more vehicles that'll give you "full" in countless ways. Ford themselves have been romancing the EB side of things. Their web page for the 2021 Bronco is steeped in EB imagery and narrative.
Simple, but worth a look, if you've not visited:
https://www.ford.com/suvs/bronco/
If the terms EB and FSB give anybody any trouble, a quick look at Wikipedia will help you to sort 'em out:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Bronco
Some old magazine adverts of the EB:
Revealed: Bronco Sport
It is claimed that the following show the so-called "baby Bronco" which is named officially as Bronco Sport.
While the mid-sized Bronco (not yet revealed) is of body-on-frame construction with a solid rear axle, Bronco Sport, below, is a unibody that shares underpinnings with the Ford Kuga and features a fully-independent suspension.
article here
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/a31281652/20...
Also leaked today is what is claimed to be the main Bronco. Some people say these images are the real deal; others argue that they're merely renderings, counterfeits. Ford is likely to benefit in either case!
The exterior design is contemporary and infused with elements of the original Early Bronco. The face in particular looks classical and without an "angry birds" shape to the headlamps --- an anthropomorphic fetish which one sees a bit too much of, imo, nowadays.
article here
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/...
Edited by unsprung on Monday 9th March 21:35
jagfan2 said:
Yeah the defender only comes with 815mm/32" tyres , off road as a low cost option, which means if you can get them outside the US you can probably fit 838/33" . You do get an archaic wobbly body on frame chassis and live axles thrown in for free too 
Hi there. I may have been hasty in making my comparison, but the new Defender design seemed, at launch, just a bit too self conscious. A slight sense of being out on the town.I hope that it proves a good money spinner for JLR. That it's reliable. And I look forward to seeing the various iterations and colours, running about.
Ford says it will officially reveal the Bronco this month (March) and Bronco Sport next month. The former could happen at any moment now.
4 THINGS TO LOOK FOR
AT THE REVEAL OF BRONCO
1. Hints about the future
A product chart appeared online -- displaying Ford products by region through 2021 (and nothing thereafter). On that chart, neither Bronco nor Bronco Sport are in Europe. When asked about Bronco in Europe after 2021, Ford declined to comment. Let’s see if Ford imply Europe (or other regions) in the deluge of information that will come during the official Bronco reveal.
2. Shared components
If Bronco begins its first model year (2021) in the US with engines and transmissions that are used by Ford in other parts of the world, this would not be a bad thing. Ford has said that Bronco may have a type of off-road navigation system -- one that sounds rather like that fitted already to Ranger Raptor outside the US. Of course, the use of shared components is no guarantee of anything. But it could offer some hope. In some instances, the same may be said for components that differ but which can be said to be "in the family".
3. Symmetrical design
While not an absolute rule, the more that a vehicle appears to be symmetrical, left to right, both inside and out, the more easily one may try to build a case for producing units in both LHD and RHD. This is not always true (engines and steering systems, for example, can place asymmetrical demands on fitment), but it’s a start. It will be interesting to see if Bronco in LHD looks like the sort of thing that might naturally lend itself to a sibling in RHD.
4. Consumer demand
Will Ford find a keen audience in Europe during the first year of Bronco in America? Or will there be mostly indifference? Governments in Europe would seem to be lowering the boom on motoring for fun, initiating some of the world’s most ambitious goals for reducing automobile emissions and even the automobile itself. Still, there’s a lot of time between now and then. And even Bronco is supposed to have a hybrid variant eventually (so says Ford).
808 Estate said:
unsprung said:
t even compared to the diluted Mk2 renderings.
Another soya latte when we needed a double espresso
The top photo in your reply has been widely publicised, but not confirmed, as a near-production-ready example of the two-door Bronco -- a body-on-frame vehicle with (at least) a live rear axle. Like many people, I believe it looks more than good. Design cues of the Early Bronco are well integrated and capability for very favourable approach and departure looks likely.
The bottom photo is an unofficial artist's rendering posted to this thread by PHer RATATTAK who claimed to have been "reliably informed" that it's a close approximation of the baby Bronco. Officially called Bronco Sport, this smaller vehicle has been thought to be a four-door unibody, partially shared with Ford Kuga, that features a fully-independent suspension.
ETA: See my posts of Monday for the "leaks" which supposedly reveal photographs of Bronco Sport and, later that same day, Bronco. Two separate posts. Again, there have been no confirmations from Ford. All we can say is: Ford has promised to reveal Bronco this month (March) and Bronco Sport next month.
Edited by unsprung on Wednesday 11th March 01:10
Yet more is leaked just now, of Bronco. In general, the design continues to look pleasing: both contemporary and with elements of heritage.
article here
https://www.roadandtrack.com/new-cars/future-cars/...
Coronavirus presents both challenge and opportunity for Ford, at this time, when they intend to launch Bronco.
The challenge is: Ford cannot count on a large in-person audience during the unveiling of this vehicle. Even if they could muster employees to build a live audience, Ford might look irresponsible to do so.
The opportunity could be:
Ford may use the most advanced online solutions to create a live global audience much as Chevrolet did with the unveiling of the C8 Corvette. That product, the C8, was destined for a number of markets outside the US -- while, at the moment, Bronco appears to be US, Canada, and Middle East only.
Nevertheless, the corporate folks at Ford could earn significant kudos by creating an impressive launch that blends elements of stage craft with those of mass-market online performance.
Wednesday, 18th March is tipped to be launch day:
"Ford recently sent out a bulletin regarding the Bronco to its dealerships across the U.S. In this bulletin, Ford writes that 'March 18th will be a big day for Bronco! We will have more exciting news to share with you then.'"
There is speculation about the launch location which, given all the virus-y hubbub at the moment, seems ambitious:
"...it could take place at the Sun Valley Film Festival in Idaho running from March 18-22. The event is sponsored by Ford and a look at the event calendar reveals that Main Street in Ketchum, Idaho will be closed off to celebrate the return of the Bronco..."
Meanwhile, the drip-feed of "leaks" of slightly blurry Broncos sat in industrial settings has been interesting, if not also a bit unserious in manner. What more might we learn between now and Wednesday?
article here
https://www.carscoops.com/2020/03/long-awaited-202...
Reuters now picks up the story.
We have the beginnings of what may become a significant jump in mentions, online and in traditional media, regarding the return of Bronco. There may be similarities to the return, last year, of Land Rover Defender, albeit with the centre of mass relocated to the other side of the Atlantic.
From other sources, we know that Ford anticipate selling some 200,000 units across the range (Bronco two-door, Bronco four-door and Bronco Sport) in model year 2021.
“I’ve had more people ask about this car than anything else we’ve launched”
article here
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-autos-ford-bron...
Ambitious was indeed the word.
Ford today cancelled the in-person launch events (only some of them known to the public) that were to introduce the new Bronco this month. No new events or calendar dates have been supplied at this time. As was discussed earlier in this thread, there is now speculation about a grand introduction that could be predominately online.
This news is part of the company's response to coronavirus. Globally, most Ford personnel will begin working from home.
article here
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/ford-bronco-rev...
This uncommon intermission allows us a moment to travel back to the mid-1960s with the following one-minute television spot from the original introduction of Bronco.
video here
https://youtu.be/QLZWkFmiKk4
We have more on Bronco Sport, the small unibody four-door (see photos in previous posts, above).
The two engines, the trim specifications, and colours of Bronco Sport have been confirmed, courtesy of a standard government filing submitted by Ford.
All trim levels are equipped with all-wheel-drive.
Bronco Sport dispenses with traditional trim nomenclature at Ford (S, SE, SEL, Titanium). This is replaced by the names of US national parks, including Big Bend, Outer Banks, and Badlands.
article here
https://www.motor1.com/news/407715/ford-bronco-spo...
This still leaves us with a lot to learn about the "regular" Bronco -- a body-on-frame vehicle that, apparently, will be cross-shopped to some extent with Jeep Wrangler.
Given that the pandemic is still an expanding global phenomenon, it's likely that Ford will continue its current delay of the official reveal of Bronco and Bronco Sport.
Ritchie335is said:
Has it been confirmed yet that the UK will be getting the new Bronco?
I had a google but couldn't come up with anything.
I was looking at replacing our LWB Shogun next year, and this would be a bit of a change from the usual.
Some months ago, Ford leaked or displayed a family tree if you will: its vehicles by region through 2021. Bronco and Bronco Sport were not assigned to Europe (yes, this means also the UK).I had a google but couldn't come up with anything.
I was looking at replacing our LWB Shogun next year, and this would be a bit of a change from the usual.
However... Ford has declined to comment about Bronco and Bronco Sport availability by region after 2021.
Oh... And one important point: Bronco and Bronco Sport are distinct vehicles. The former a body-on-frame vehicle that will compete to some extent with Jeep Wrangler; the latter a crossover that shares a platform and engines with Kuga.
All of what I write now is explained in just a few of the posts further above.
New video of Bronco driving off road.
See here
https://youtu.be/nW3sH5YVhn4
Note that both variants -- two-door and four-door -- are featured. This is the body-on-frame vehicle called Bronco (and not the smaller, unibody sibling called Bronco Sport that borrows from Kuga).
The video also demonstrates the application of technology:
"As the Bronco maneuvers around a tree, the inside rear wheel locks up while the front wheels keep spinning, which pulls the front of the truck around to reduce the turning radius."
Article here
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/05/31/ford-bronco-of...
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Some features have been confirmed for the body-on-frame Bronco:
. . . Locking differentials both front and rear as well as electronic sway bar disconnect.
. . . Independent front suspension.
. . . Manual transmission with six forward gears as well as one low-speed "crawl" gear for off-road. (a 10-speed automatic is believed to be the alternative)
. . . Base model engine will be a version of the 2.3-liter EcoBoost. In the Ranger pickup, this produces 270 hp and 310 lb-ft.
The following includes a prototype vehicle with, interestingly, remote-reservoir shock absorbers. It's not immediately clear if that kit is fitted on the production vehicle, either standard or optionally.
article
https://www.tflcar.com/2020/06/2021-ford-bronco-mo...
What are your plans for Thursday, 9th July?
Today Ford announced that date for the launch of Bronco. It is not the first launch date to be given to this vehicle, so it's understandable that fans are responding with a mix of excitement and fatigue.
Ford has taken to referring to Bronco as "The Wild" in messages about the launch campaign. A clear reference both to the wild character of an unbroken horse (bronco) and the sort of free-spirited values that Ford wish to impute to the Bronco brand.
article
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-ford-bronc...
No, this news would not be out of place in the pages of Private Eye magazine or The Onion.
The official date to unveil the new Bronco -- see post above -- also happens to be the birthday of O.J. Simpson. .
article
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/16/new-ford-bronco-to...
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