Monday 4th July 2022

Ford announces Bronco allocation for Europe...

...but thinks right-hand-drive sales potential too limited for UK version

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The new Bronco already seems to have been around forever. Blame a colossal build-up for that - and the 25-year hiatus that proceeded it. But the latest model, launched just last year, has well-earned its reputation: Ford’s order book was said to be brimmed almost from day one, and the manufacturer followed it up in January with the 418hp Raptor version, a car the American motoring press has been raving about. 

Now Ford has dropped another Bronco-shaped bombshell: for the first time ever, it will officially sell the car in Europe. That’s right, in countries not hugely well known for an all-encompassing love of large SUVs, the Blue Oval will drop kick (or punt, if you prefer) a ‘4x4-only, extreme off-road-capable Bronco’ into a niche currently served by the Land Rover Defender, the Mercedes G-Class - and not a whole lot else. 

Almost certainly this is why the car will only be available in ‘strictly limited numbers’ from late next year. Moreover, Ford has declined the opportunity to stretch its legs in a market very much inclined to embrace large SUVs (i.e. the one you’re currently sitting in) by restricting its the exercise to ‘selected left-hand drive’ nations. Which you can take to mean Germany. This oversight, as ever, is to do with the cost and associated complication of producing cars in right-hand drive, and the projected limited interest thereafter. 

Apparently the success of the Mustang, and GM’s decision to produce RHD Corvettes (despite having no official presence in the UK to market them) hasn’t made an impression on the bean counters, so we’ll have to plod along, Bronco-less, for the foreseeable future. Unless you really, really want one, of course. In which case there a number of specialist dealers which will cater to your every whim. Ford hasn’t indicated precisely which flavour of Bronco will be made available in the Old World - but it wouldn’t be a surprise if they looked a lot like this one, available on PH to take home today. Just don’t expect to see a Raptor anytime soon…

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• 2022 Ford Bronco | PH Review
• 'Badass' 2022 Ford Bronco Raptor revealed

[scottmelvin96]

Got to love a go anywhere box in wheels, Looks great and different from every other SUV bar a defender. Be more than an edge so might not sell great long term.

[IrishAsal]

Hopefully they'll launch an EV version of this like the F150.

[hammo19]

I actually saw one of these in Newcastle that other day. It looked very purposeful.

[Sway]

Loads of staff in Florida have these and the Bronco Sport.

They all love them - and I have to say the more I spent time around one, the more I fell for it too.

Lots of charm.

[ZX10R NIN]

I wonder if it'll come with the 3.5TT like it does in the US.

[Zed Ed]

Presume this is available in no RHD markets?

Obviously many colonial outposts but also some meaningful markets; Aus, Asia etc who are RHD.

[ducnick]

The fact that it’s made by Ford (USA) is a good enough reason not to buy one in the rest of the world. The American ford factories don’t have the quality control you find in ford factories in the rest of the world. They tend to work on the premise that if it’s not fallen to bits by the time it arrives on the forecourt, then it must be ok.

[Ozone]

ducnick said:

The fact that it’s made by Ford (USA) is a good enough reason not to buy one in the rest of the world. The American ford factories don’t have the quality control you find in ford factories in the rest of the world. They tend to work on the premise that if it’s not fallen to bits by the time it arrives on the forecourt, then it must be ok.

Just out of curiosity, what US built Fords have you had?

[Nickbrapp]

Looks like a even more tragic version of a Jeep Wrangler

works in California but absolutely tragic driving around Cornwall or Shorpe. Can’t decide what’s worse this or the fake aluminium chequerplate on the defender

[Exoticaholic]

Clive Sutton offers right hand drive conversions on many American cars including F150 and Esclande.

https://www.clivesutton.co.uk/bespoke-services/car...

No reason why they can't do a right hand drive conversion on the Bronco.

[Jon_S_Rally]

No great surprise. It was unlikely that Ford were going to go to the trouble of making RHD cars just for the UK.

Didn't Germany get the latest Explorer too?

[Bobupndown]

Really like that, pity petrol/diesel is like liquid gold just now. I'm sure the Bronco likes a drink.

[Wren-went]

It would sell well here and all Rhd markets Ford missing a trick not making Rhd I certainly wouldn't entertain a left hooker it's acceptable on a 60s Mustang but not on a new motor.

[Turbobanana]

I've always wondered why manufacturer renderings go to the trouble of using reversible number plates (those featuring symmetrical letters A, H, M, O, T, U, V, W, X and Y, and the numbers 1, 8 and 0), when you'd clearly have to re-do the huge B-R-O-N-C-O on the grille anyway.

[loveice]

The UK market for off-road recreational vehicles is definitely too small for Ford to officially export Bronco here. Bronco and Wrangler are not G-Class or the new Defender, despite the retro designs. They aren’t the old Defender or modern medium size pickups, either. They are simply “toys” for pure off road enthusiasts. These type of “toys” are popular in the US, Middle East and China. Even when they are popular there, the production numbers are still relatively low compare to day to day SUVs.

[RumbleOfThunder]

It will be the "soft" Bronco Sport model, won't it. Not the one in the pics.

[ducnick]

Ozone said:

Just out of curiosity, what US built Fords have you had?

A 2017 mustang. Im not saying that they are bad. It's just the QC is done down to a price - the domestic market pre tax sale price to be specific. In the USA things like Bronco and Mustang are the domestic equivalents of the Dacia Sandero and Duster for us. No one is going to spend £16K on a Duster then complain that the panel gaps are a bit off or that the interior trim is a bit rattly. These things are expected on a car at this price point. Same with US domestic market fords. The problem is, once you export them over here, add shipping, taxes etc, they are no longer cheap disposable cars where rattles, poor paint application, bolts that were not torqued up properly etc can be tolerated.
In the BMW/Merc/Audi/Honda/Toyota/Ford EU factories you probably have a robot torquing up cam cover bolts and its calibrated at the start of each shift. In the ford (USA) factories its a guy with a torque wrench on minimum wage, and its a bit like an 80's Italian factory on a Friday afternoon. He just wants to get home, and there is no incentive to tighten everything up to the prescribed settings. As long as most of the bolts make it to the dealers its probably fine.

[Superflow]

Reminds me of a Lada with the front lights nice enough and something a little different.

[wpa1975]

Cannot see anybody buying this over a Defender.

[rodericb]

Jon_S_Rally said:

No great surprise. It was unlikely that Ford were going to go to the trouble of making RHD cars just for the UK.

Didn't Germany get the latest Explorer too?

There's also Australia and South Africa. I can't think of any other right hand drive countries where a Bronco would sell in any meaningful numbers. But "meaningful numbers" means different things to different people and the management at Ford obviously run bigger numbers than what we'd like to see! I think they could sell more Broncos (Broncii?) here in Australia than they do Mustang.... Not that the Mustang buyers would have purchased Broncos if they were available but that there's plenty of money sloshing around in Australia for such vehicles.

Edited by rodericb on Tuesday 5th July 14:44