Twinned with the Ranger, the sixth-gen Bronco was revealed in 2020 as a 2021 model. It's widely believed that a mid-cycle refresh is coming for 2025, although not much is known about said facelift.
It's also important to underline that not even a single prototype of the 2025 Ford Bronco has been photographed thus far. Be that as it may, pixel artists continue to release highly unrealistic renderings of the newcomer. The design study in the video below comes from the folks at Next-Gen Car, and the first thing that seems off about it is the FRONCD lettering in the radiator grille. Free AI art generator much?
Indecipherable symbols are featured on the top-hinged tailgate. The taillamps are way off the mark as well, along with the design of the rear pillars and roof. More crossover than body-on-frame sport utility vehicle, this ridiculously amateurish take on the 2025 Bronco is best described as misleading.
Considering that the carparazzi have yet to catch a prototype in the wild, what kind of design changes should we look forward to? First and foremost, there's no denying that Dearborn's favorite son will make small alternations to the trademark round headlamps. Rather than a hatchback-style tailgate, the side-hinged tailgate of the pre-facelift Bronco will soldier on almost unchanged due to said tailgate being covered by the factory-issue spare wheel.
As far as the cabin is concerned, a single area of interest comes to mind, that being the infotainment system. The 2024 Ford Ranger comes with SYNC 4A, whereas the 2024 model year Bronco ships with SYNC 4. As a rule of thumb, SYNC 4A uses portrait-oriented touschreens as opposed to SYNC 4's landscape displays. 4 features touchscreen sizes of 8 to 12 inches, and 4A displays range from 12 to 15.5 inches.
Photo: Next-Gen Car on YouTube
When it comes to powertrain choices, there is mounting evidence that a plug-in hybrid will join the 2.3-liter EcoBoost I4, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6, and Raptor-specific 3.0er. From the EV Coaching feature that yours truly covered back in July 2020 to Ford confirming new versions of the Bronco (and Maverick) at the beginning of November 2023, a plug-in hybrid appears to be on the horizon.
Given that Ford has recently premiered the Ranger PHEV for Europe, it's only a matter of time until the Bronco will be able to challenge the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. On the other hand, there is a possibility that the Bronco PHEV may be intended for markets outside of the United States of America.
Due to hit dealer showrooms in late 2024 for the 2025 model year, the Ranger PHEV combines the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-pot turbo with an electric motor, a high-voltage battery, and the 10-speed automatic of the internal combustion-only Ranger. The Ford Motor Company is targeting over 45 kilometers (make that 28 miles) under WLTP, which is more optimistic than the EPA's way of estimating range.
With the Maverick and F-150 already offering hybrid versions, it makes little sense for the Dearborn-based automaker to offer the Ranger PHEV in the US of A. Alternatively, the Blue Oval may change its mind once the Jeep Gladiator 4xe goes official in 2025.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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