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V8 Bronco Not Happening Over "CO2 Implications" According to Ford Officials

Ford may be riding high on the hype of the Bronco, but the Blue Oval can’t make a case for the Coyote or Predator engines in this application. The truth of the matter is, there’s not that much of a market for a V8 in a mid-size SUV. Or is it?
2021 Ford Bronco R “Shelby GT500” Rendered With 1969 Baja Truck Style, Blown V8 46 photos
Photo: Abimelec Arellano on Instagram
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Jeep has recently presented a Wrangler with the 392 HEMI, and the carparazzi have spied the V8 off-roader on public streets. Ford may be waiting to see how the cookie crumbles, but then again, the V8 Bronco is out of the question for the time being.

Speaking to Muscle Cars & Trucks, chief engineer Eric Loeffler and global program manager Jeff Seaman made a case for “CO2 implications” and “federal requirements.” Worse still for V8 enthusiasts, “that [2.7-liter] EcoBoost motor is damn good and when you get out of it you don’t say ‘I wish I had a bigger engine.’”

The two officials, however, failed to mention that Ford is currently working on a more powerful option for the Bronco. Remember our article on the EV Coaching symbol in the digital instrument cluster? That’s a confirmation of plug-in hybrid assistance, an option that was bound to happen thanks to the Jeep Wrangler 4xe.

Rumored with 450 ponies or thereabouts from the 3.0-liter EcoBoost instead of the 2.7 that’s exclusively mated to the 10-speed automatic transmission, the plug-in hybrid Bronco would be on par with the Coyote V8 in terms of horsepower but torquier than the Mustang GT thanks to the addition of at least one electric motor.

You also have to think about miles per gallon and all-electric range. Jeep, for instance, promises 50 MPGe and 25 miles or 40 kilometers in EV driving mode from a 17-kWh battery. The Wrangler 4xe, however, relies on a 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine instead of a larger, twin-turbocharged V6.

Turning our attention back to the main topic, the V8 Bronco may not happen from Ford but the aftermarket is much obliged to work its magic.

PaxPower of Houston, Texas intends to swap the EcoBoost with the Coyote for $30,000 while a 2.9-liter supercharger would add $15,000 to the tally. Oh, and by the way, a manual transmission swap may happen too.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
Mircea Panait profile photo

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.
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