2021 Ford Bronco Deliveries, Manual Sasquatch Package Delayed
2021 Ford Bronco deliveries won’t begin until summer of 2021, but there is some good news for reservation holders.
For several months now, Ford has said that 2021 Ford Bronco deliveries would begin in the spring of 2021. Most recently, things seemed to be going smoothly in that regard, and the automaker planned on opening up order banks on December 7 – at which time the 190,000+ reservation holders would be able to convert those reservations to actual orders. However, those folks are now going to have to wait a bit longer to not only do that, but also to take delivery of their shiny new Bronco.
That’s because the automaker has officially delayed 2021 Ford Bronco deliveries until summer of 2021, a fact it communicated through a letter it sent out to dealers, which was subsequently posted by Bronco Nation. The automaker cited COVID-19 related supplier issues as the cause of this delay, which seems to be pushing back the entire ordering and delivery process by roughly a month.
That starts with the order banks, which will now open up in mid-January rather than early December. The order conversion window will remain open through the month of March, giving reservation holders and dealers plenty of time to hammer out the details. As far as how Bronco allocations will be distributed among dealers, those folks will find out in early January before order banks open up.
In the letter, Ford also provided another bit of bad news for some potential Bronco buyers – the much-anticipated Sasquatch Package/seven-speed manual transmission combo, which was originally slated to be a late availability option for 2021, will not be available until late 2021 for the 2022 model year. The popular package was originally slated to be available only with the 10-speed automatic transmission, but Ford reversed that decision following intense customer feedback.
Amid all of this bad news, there are a couple of positive changes that Ford shared as well. For starters, those who reserved a 2021 Ford Bronco First Edition will now be able to spec a black interior if they wish. Originally, they were stuck with Navy Pier, a fact some reservation holders were not pleased with.
Additionally, Ford has created a customer appreciation program that will provide reservation holders with FordPass rewards points that they can use toward the purchase of Bronco accessories. No word on how many will be gifted, nor when this will happen, but Ford says it will share more details soon.
While any sort of delay is disappointing, a roughly one-month push back isn’t the end of the world if Ford needs it to ensure a smooth launch and the production of a quality product. Plus, it’s nice to see the automaker continue to tweak its option packages and trim levels based on customer feedback, rather than simply ignoring them as some automakers tend to do. And when the Bronco does finally arrive, we imagine that it’ll be well worth the wait.
Photos: Ford