Photo: Michael Hiveley on Facebook
Working for the Ford Motor Company since 1989, Michael Hiveley has spotted the all-new Bronco today in Livonia, Michigan at a stoplight. Camouflaged from head to toe, the four-door prototype exhibits a few interesting traits that we’ll go through below.
First and foremost, check out those tires! Yeah, that’s the kind of rubber the Bronco is made for, and the wheels look like beadlocks even though they probably aren’t functional. The six-lug layout, however, indicates that the mid-size SUV is a body-on-frame truck based on the Ranger.
We already know the biggest tires for the Bronco will be 315/70 by 17 inches, and by comparison, the JL/JLU Rubicon ships from the factory with 285/70 by 17s. Coincidence or not, the bi-turbo diesel Ford Ranger Raptor also rides on 285/70 R17 rubber.
“I doubt they would be testing a Raptorized version yet,” commented Tim Studtmann on Michael’s photographs. "Hopefully just the FX4 with a few options,” which would explain the single-exit tailpipe connected to the standard engine – the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo.
As the headline implies, the big news is the footprint. “It’s definitely wider than a Jeep Wrangler,” said Michael, and that appears to be true even with the camo peeled off. As for the F-150 beside it, the Bronco is indeed smaller because of the Ranger-sourced ladder frame chassis.
Both the pickup and the off-roader are built in Michigan at the same plant, but curiously enough, the Blue Oval couldn’t make a case for the Bronco on the Old Continent. Not even the Bronco Sport, a compact crossover based on the Escape (a.k.a. Kuga in Europe), will not cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Notice the third brake light located right above the full-size spare wheel on the tailgate? That is the exact same design as the third brake light of the pre-production Bronco four-door model photographed uncamouflaged on the factory floor a few months ago.
On an ending note, remember to mark your calendars for July 9th because that’s when “The Wild Returns.”
We already know the biggest tires for the Bronco will be 315/70 by 17 inches, and by comparison, the JL/JLU Rubicon ships from the factory with 285/70 by 17s. Coincidence or not, the bi-turbo diesel Ford Ranger Raptor also rides on 285/70 R17 rubber.
“I doubt they would be testing a Raptorized version yet,” commented Tim Studtmann on Michael’s photographs. "Hopefully just the FX4 with a few options,” which would explain the single-exit tailpipe connected to the standard engine – the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder turbo.
As the headline implies, the big news is the footprint. “It’s definitely wider than a Jeep Wrangler,” said Michael, and that appears to be true even with the camo peeled off. As for the F-150 beside it, the Bronco is indeed smaller because of the Ranger-sourced ladder frame chassis.
Both the pickup and the off-roader are built in Michigan at the same plant, but curiously enough, the Blue Oval couldn’t make a case for the Bronco on the Old Continent. Not even the Bronco Sport, a compact crossover based on the Escape (a.k.a. Kuga in Europe), will not cross the Atlantic Ocean.
Notice the third brake light located right above the full-size spare wheel on the tailgate? That is the exact same design as the third brake light of the pre-production Bronco four-door model photographed uncamouflaged on the factory floor a few months ago.
On an ending note, remember to mark your calendars for July 9th because that’s when “The Wild Returns.”
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