What's Ford going to do with all that money it saves from not developing normal cars? It's going to bring back the iconic Bronco, as a rugged off-roader.
This is arguably one of the most interesting products Ford is developing right now, and we noticed the guys at TFL have a video scoop where the 2021 Bronco is testing in the wild. While this is technically a mule, chopped from an existing platform, there's a lot of information available right now.
The big scoop came out a few days ago, and it's the fact that a 2.3-liter turbo engine will reside under the hood. Ford has steadily installed this four-cylinder in more and more vehicles, starting with the EcoBoost Mustang and the discontinued Focus RS. It's also used by the new, Europe-only Focus ST, the Ranger, and Explorer.
The Bronco is only going to have 270-horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, which is still more than most four-cylinder SUVs out there. On top of that, Ford promises this will be "the most fuel-efficient gas-powered mid-size pickup in America."
The engine is hooked up to a 10-speed automatic gearbox, though a manual has also been rumored to serve off-road enthusiasts.
As you can probably tell, the Bronco prototype is based on a Ranger with a bit chopped off the back. This is not what the end product will look like. In fact, we have a Ford teaser which shows a slab-sided retro machine, a bit like the upcoming Land Rover Defender.
The Bronco is expected to come out towards the end of 2020 as a 2021 model year. Production will take place at Michigan Assembly in Wayne, the plant where Ford also manufactures the Ranger for North America.
Prices will start from around $30,000, but the Bronco is expected to be in hot demand, so dealers will charge you more. Rivals include the Jeep Wrangler, Toyota 4Runner and the Defender.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News