Photo: Ford
The 2021 Ford Bronco isn’t just another utility vehicle with truck underpinnings. It’s the return of an icon and a statement in the segment where Jeep reigns supreme with the Wrangler, but also a masterpiece in terms of software.
UPDATE
The project has been taken down from Behance - all pictures and videos of the digital instrument cluster. We have also removed them after a takedown request on behalf of Ford.
We won’t talk about the G.O.A.T. modes today, but the digital instrument cluster that works in tandem with the central touchscreen thanks to SYNC 4 infotainment.
The odometer is located on the bottom of the screen to the right while the left corner displays how many miles are left until the fuel tank runs out of dinosaur juice. At the top, the corner on the left features the buckin’ bronco logo while the right displays the direction you’re heading and the outside temperature.
Dead in the center and on the right-hand side, you have the speed and revolutions per minute while the Bronco symbol and miles-to-empty are flanked on the left by a visual representation of the fuel level. Engaging lane assist or cruise control adds a bird's-eye view of the mid-size utility vehicle, but that’s not all.
A different version – called Energy Coach Display – is found in electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles like the Focus Electric and Fusion Energi, and just like that, we have confirmation that an electrified Bronco is in the works. Lest we forget, the Ford Motor Company confirmed this engine option last year.
At the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders from last year, none other than chief executive officer Jim Hackett said “we’re adding hybrid electrics to high-volume profitable vehicles like Explorer and the new exciting Bronco.” We don't know, however, what kind of electrified solution is in the pipeline.
A plug-in hybrid like the one in the Escape and Explorer seems the most likely outcome. However, don’t forget the F-150 PowerBoost is a hybrid too. The 10-speed automatic transmission of the half-ton pickup truck is where the electric motor is found.
Thanks to it, the F-150 PowerBoost promises to be the most potent workhorse in the segment, at least until the Ram TRX enters production with Hellcat suck-squeeze-bang-blow. But still, "EV Coaching" in a hybrid doesn't make a lot of sense.
As mentioned earlier, PHEV may be the way to go for the Bronco, more so because the next-gen Ranger is expected as a plug-in hybrid as well.
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