Photo: matt_tierney53 for Hagerty
There's no denying the new Ford Bronco is a cleverly designed vehicle, from the actual look of the SUV to the tiny bits that will make the owner's life that much easier. With actual customer deliveries yet to commence, there are still plenty of things to learn about the newcomer, some more important than others.
For instance, there was the question of a hybrid powertrain for the Bronco. Besides being almost mandatory to offer some sort of electrification - even partial - in today's climate, the problem has since been addressed via an official Ford image that was since withdrawn from circulation. The Bronco will have a hybrid option, the only question now is whether it'll be an HEV or a PHEV.
A slightly less important feature but one that might have given Ford designers something to think about was positioning the rearview camera. The tiny thing that makes reversing so much easier is now mandatory on all new cars, so the Bronco had to find a place somewhere on its rear to accommodate the thing.
With the number plate low on the bumper and a large spare wheel covering most of the tailgate, the only option left was the roof. Except that comes off as well on certain models, so it's no good. Easy, you'll say: just do what the Jeep Wrangler did and put it in the center of the spare wheel hub. Yes, that would make sense, but given Ford removing the word "Wrangler" off the new Bronco's tires, we'd imagine carrying over any solution from its greatest rival wasn't something the company was keen on doing.
And yet that's where the reverse camera sits. The guys at Ford Authority found the answer to the question nobody was really asking, but while this solution does clear all problems raised by positioning the camera elsewhere, it raises a new one: what if Bronco owners will want to use a spare wheel cover?
Well, it looks like it'll be one of the two: either rely on the mirrors and your sense of space or make a nice hole in that brand-new cover and continue to enjoy the live feed on your display. A new First World problem? Definitely, but one that can lead to much bigger First World problems if you fail to approximate the distance to that Bugatti behind you correctly.
A slightly less important feature but one that might have given Ford designers something to think about was positioning the rearview camera. The tiny thing that makes reversing so much easier is now mandatory on all new cars, so the Bronco had to find a place somewhere on its rear to accommodate the thing.
With the number plate low on the bumper and a large spare wheel covering most of the tailgate, the only option left was the roof. Except that comes off as well on certain models, so it's no good. Easy, you'll say: just do what the Jeep Wrangler did and put it in the center of the spare wheel hub. Yes, that would make sense, but given Ford removing the word "Wrangler" off the new Bronco's tires, we'd imagine carrying over any solution from its greatest rival wasn't something the company was keen on doing.
And yet that's where the reverse camera sits. The guys at Ford Authority found the answer to the question nobody was really asking, but while this solution does clear all problems raised by positioning the camera elsewhere, it raises a new one: what if Bronco owners will want to use a spare wheel cover?
Well, it looks like it'll be one of the two: either rely on the mirrors and your sense of space or make a nice hole in that brand-new cover and continue to enjoy the live feed on your display. A new First World problem? Definitely, but one that can lead to much bigger First World problems if you fail to approximate the distance to that Bugatti behind you correctly.
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