New Ford Bronco Still Months Away
Yes, the new Ranger is here, but don’t expect to see the new Ford Bronco anytime soon.
Hooray, the new Ranger is here! After years of speculation and then a teaser at the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Ford finally showed us the new Ranger. But, Ford also promised us that there would be a new Bronco for 2020. Now that we know the details of the new Ranger, it’s time so see the Bronco, right?
Not so fast.
While we all would love to see a 2020 Bronco concept make an appearance at a show like The New York International Auto Show in a couple March, it’s likely not going to happen. While we don’t have insider information to share, there’s just so much on Ford’s plate right now that they’d want to wait for such a reveal.
For starters, the plant that’ll build the Bronco is the same plant that’ll build the new Ranger. Michigan Assembly is still building the Ford Focus. It hasn’t even been re-tooled for the Ranger yet.
Second, the Ranger is a big deal. For big products like the F-150, Ranger, or Raptor, Ford likes to follow a pattern. We can likely assume that Ford will follow the Ranger pattern, in this case, for the new Bronco.
Launching early would take away from the enthusiasm surrounding the return of the Ranger. Ford will want to make sure it has had plenty of time to raise awareness of the vehicle, advertise and promote it, and ensure journalists write about it before it hits showrooms early next year. If all people (like us) are doing is talking about Bronco, then that’s not good for Ford.
Also, it’s worth giving Ranger its due. While we have been clamoring for the Ranger for years, Ford decided that now is the right time to return with the truck. Those looking for a midsize truck but don’t want to jump brands will likely see the Ranger as just what they’re looking for.
We should also add that at the end of the day, Ford will sell more Rangers than Broncos.
So when should we expect to see the new Bronco? Well we wouldn’t be surprised if we started seeing some test mules towards the end of the year. Ford is good at keeping secrets, but they can’t test in secret forever. Plus, spy shots in December will get people hyped for the new Bronco in January.
The 2019 North American International Auto Show in Detroit is where we completely expect the new Bronco to debut. We won’t know pricing or fuel economy, but we’ll see the truck.
We don’t, however, expect it to be a year before it goes on sale like the Ranger. The plant will already be converted for Ranger so, in theory, less work will need to be done. I’d expect an early fall release with the media driving it sometime in mid to late summer.
Of course, this could all be wrong, and I’d be happy to be wrong. But I think we have awhile yet before we get more Bronco goodness.
