Iconic Bronco is about to Make a Big Comeback. Reborn Ford Off-Roader will Be Ranger-Based and Instantly Recognizable
It feels as if it’s been an eternity, but the day has come. We finally finally — FINALLY! — have official confirmation that the Ford Bronco is returning.
Ford broke the big news — and details about an upcoming Ranger for the North American market — at this week’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Ranger will be similar to the truck that’s currently offered in foreign markets. But it will be updated to meet regulations and tastes in this part of the world. No word on specs at this point, but it’s not hard to imagine an EcoBoost of some sort finding its way under the hood. Expect the Americanized Ranger in 2019.
Hitting the market in 2020, the reborn Bronco will share its underpinnings with the Ranger. Fox News spoke with Raj Nair, E.V.P. of Product Development, about it. (Skip to the 2:22 mark in the video below.) Nair said its midsize truck roots will put it in the “sweet spot” in terms of the size customers wants. Its off-road capabilities, which “will be a real focus,” will make it a Bronco and a competitor to vehicles such as the Jeep Wrangler. That implies 4L, serious get-dirty hardware, a generous amount of ground clearance, substantial tires, and a suite of technologies. These include a form of hill ascent and/or descent speed control, a front-facing camera, and a shift-on-the-fly system to handle different types of terrain.
What final form will all of that take in the Bronco? It’s too soon to know for sure. However, Nair at least gave us all a hint, even though it’s on the murky side of vague. Regarding Bronco’s design, Nair said it’ll be instantly recognizable as a Bronco as well as a modern, brand-new vehicle. “It’s a big task for our designers to come up with that combination, but whether it’s F-Series or Mustang or even the Ford GT, we know how to do that pretty well. You’ll see something similar with the Bronco.”
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
