Photo: Ford U.S. website
Sad news, ladies and gents! The hottest American nameplate of the moment has disappointed once again, but it’s not the fault of the Bronco. Due to overwhelming demand in the guise of $100 reservations, deliveries of the mid-size SUV have been pushed back from April to June 2021.
That leaves very little time for Ford to deliver 2021 models before the 2022 rolls out next fall, which is why the reservations page also mentions an even more worrying piece of information. “Due to the high number of reservations, deliveries may extend into the 2022 calendar year.”
It’s too soon to say how this delay will favor the Jeep Wrangler, but the Ford Motor Company shouldn’t rest on its laurels right now. The waiting time will undoubtedly convince a handful of reservation holders to pick up the Rubicon right off the dealer lot, and going forward, Jeep may surprise us with a 6.4-liter HEMI option for the two- and four-door Wrangler.
The Blue Oval doesn’t plan to offer an eight-cylinder engine, and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 isn’t on par with the 392 option from Fiat Chrysler either. Adding insult to injury, the six-pot is an auto-only affair. The 10-speed transmission is also required if you opt for the Sasquatch Package while Jeep is much obliged to offer the Rubicon with a manual from the get-go.
It may sound funny, but the Blue Oval may have rushed the Bronco's reveal without thinking things through. An equivalent V8 to the HEMI may not be of the essence here, but the limited availability of the seven-speed manual with a crawler gear has put off quite a few customers.
This isn’t the first time Ford messed the roll-out of an all-new vehicle. Remember the 2020 Explorer and Aviator fiasco from last year? A series of manufacturing problems at the Chicago Assembly Plant forced the Dearborn-based automaker to ship thousands of examples to a different factory by truck, and as a result, customers had to wait longer for delivery.
It’s too soon to say how this delay will favor the Jeep Wrangler, but the Ford Motor Company shouldn’t rest on its laurels right now. The waiting time will undoubtedly convince a handful of reservation holders to pick up the Rubicon right off the dealer lot, and going forward, Jeep may surprise us with a 6.4-liter HEMI option for the two- and four-door Wrangler.
The Blue Oval doesn’t plan to offer an eight-cylinder engine, and the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 isn’t on par with the 392 option from Fiat Chrysler either. Adding insult to injury, the six-pot is an auto-only affair. The 10-speed transmission is also required if you opt for the Sasquatch Package while Jeep is much obliged to offer the Rubicon with a manual from the get-go.
It may sound funny, but the Blue Oval may have rushed the Bronco's reveal without thinking things through. An equivalent V8 to the HEMI may not be of the essence here, but the limited availability of the seven-speed manual with a crawler gear has put off quite a few customers.
This isn’t the first time Ford messed the roll-out of an all-new vehicle. Remember the 2020 Explorer and Aviator fiasco from last year? A series of manufacturing problems at the Chicago Assembly Plant forced the Dearborn-based automaker to ship thousands of examples to a different factory by truck, and as a result, customers had to wait longer for delivery.
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