The Ford Bronco (probably) launch thread
Discussion
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...
The word "leviathan" has been used to describe some very large companies, and this would not be an inaccurate label for the global team based in Dearborn, Michigan.
The very large Ford Motor Company has had time to digest the news that Bronco was, quite coincidentally, scheduled to be launched on O.J. Simpson's birthday. And the managers in Dearborn have decided that this must not be.
Therefore, the new, new launch date of the new Bronco is announced today as 13th July.
article
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/19/ford-decides-not-t...
Here it is!
The two-door Bronco appears below, in yellow.
"We can clearly spot a removable roof, hood-mounted tie-down hooks, and black fender flares which are filled out nicely with a set of chunky all-terrain tires."
article
https://www.thedrive.com/news/34232/heres-the-two-...
The Bronco nameplate has been absent for 24 years... Ford wants to make the return of Bronco as spectacular and meaningful as possible during this half-baked time of pandemic.
With this challenge in mind, Ford has agreed a partnership with Disney. The in-house creative team at Disney will produce short films, each three minutes in length. And these will begin to air from 1:00 AM UK time on 14th July. (8:00 PM on 13th July on the East Coast of the US)
Crucially, this launch event is not about one Bronco but about what Ford calls its "Ford Bronco 4x4 family."
This is a reference to both the body-on-frame vehicle and the crossover vehicle. The former is available in two- and four-door variants. The crossover is available only as a four-door. It is based on the same platform used by Ford Kuga in Europe.
Disney owns numerous channels (for example: those of National Geographic and ESPN the sport network). These will be employed to air the short films mentioned above. Each film will feature a different Bronco as well as a "special guest" -- a person of note who has achieved excellence in his / her career.
For example:
-- a professional climber
-- a country-western musician
-- a filmmaker
It's apparent from all of the above that Ford wants this vehicle to appeal broadly to_middle_class_households. By tapping into Disney-owned channels such as National Geographic and ESPN, Ford associates Bronco with the outdoors and a sense of adventure.
article
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/02/ford-is-partnering...
Today more pre-launch info:
. . . a) Bronco will become a brand experience that extends from vehicles to dedicated off-road venues to a Bronco Nation forum online.
. . . b) Buying a Bronco or a Bronco Sport "Badlands edition" will qualify owners for instruction at one of four off-road parks that Ford is building in the US.
. . . c) Bronco is a family of vehicles: a body-on-frame variant (available in two- and four-door flavours) and a four-door crossover. The latter, called Bronco Sport, is built on the same platform as Ford Kuga in Europe. Perhaps in a short time Bronco in one form or another will be offered in the UK and on the Continent.
video
https://youtu.be/_4A3xjgZ4hY
article
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33080916/2021-f...
click thumbnails to view
Edited by unsprung on Monday 6th July 19:09
unsprung said:
"Bronco will become a brand experience..."
Oh dear. Leaving that aside, the biggest question for many will be around its overall dimensions. Toyota FJ was "too big" for any sensible application in Europe and Jeep has followed that same unwelcome path. So while the Bronco profile looks encouraging I'm not getting over excited just yet.
What's the money on? 2.7 litre V6 ecoboost? Available manual gearbox?
rockin said:
What's the money on? 2.7 litre V6 ecoboost? Available manual gearbox?
Hi there. Yes, a 7-speed manual transmission will be offered, with one of the seven speeds being a very low gear dedicated to crawling. One may also choose a 10-speed automatic.A twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 will be available. A turbo 2.3-litre four-pot will serve as base spec.
One way that people are responding to the pandemic is with the classical family road trip. But sans hotel / motel.
On the rise are RV hire and purchases, camping gear hire and purchases. Reservations for a number of state and national parks are said to be full.
Boondocking -- camping on federal lands that have few roads and no services -- is now more popular than ever (it's free and legal to do).
PH members such as oldtimer2, among others, have cited the rise of "overlanding" here. Now, coincidentally, there is even more interest.
Perhaps a sort of go-anywhere fun vehicle from Ford can find success during this half-baked time of pandemic.
Edited by unsprung on Saturday 11th July 21:09
An additional pool of photos is appearing prior to the launch on Monday:
https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-ford-bronc...
https://www.caranddriver.com/news/a33280425/2021-f...
Edited by unsprung on Saturday 11th July 18:56
And now, at midnight, it surely is the witching hour. Perfect for the launch of Bronco.
If you're up late in the UK, Bronco will be unveiled in one hour, at 1:00 AM London time, at the following:
https://youtu.be/CacIlFaXph0
Those Down Under will be well into the next morning and may want to fix a cuppa. If you're in the US or the land o' Timmy, feel free to grab a beer.
With less than 30 minutes remaining, it looks like somebody's broken the media embargo. The following now popping up on a Bronco forum:
More photos here:
https://www.bronco6g.com/forum/threads/more-leaks-...
The launch video is explicit that Bronco is a family of 4x4 vehicles. There are three today, and one has the impression that more (a pickup?) might join the family in future.
An impressive array of mechanical and technological features. The two- and four-door body-on-frame vehicles are the sweet spot -- with significant if not class-leading features / measurements / etc. Bronco Sport crossover very much targeting the family overlanding trend.
On the four-door, all four doors are easily removed and stowed in back. Roof is removable. Same on the two-door (albeit doors are not stowed aboard).
More than 110,000 viewers appeared on the clock at the official Ford YouTube channel for this unveiling.
Separately, the folks at one leading motoring magazine have posted a video of their introduction to Bronco two- and four-door variants, including footage while behind the wheel:
https://youtu.be/pogURuysz1I
swisstoni said:
Looked like a Tonka Toys advert from my childhood.
And I can’t give it higher praise than that!
And I can’t give it higher praise than that!
Agreed. And there's even more that is reminiscent of Tonka fun, as the head of design for Bronco -- a Briton -- explains:
. . . "According to head designer Paul Wraith, 'With one hour and a wrench, you can strip this truck down.'"
article
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/07/13/2021-ford-bron...
unsprung said:
swisstoni said:
Looked like a Tonka Toys advert from my childhood.
And I can’t give it higher praise than that!
And I can’t give it higher praise than that!
Agreed. And there's even more that is reminiscent of Tonka fun, as the head of design for Bronco -- a Briton -- explains:
. . . "According to head designer Paul Wraith, 'With one hour and a wrench, you can strip this truck down.'"
article
https://www.autoblog.com/2020/07/13/2021-ford-bron...
That SWB yellow one is bloody perfect. I'd love one of those.
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