330kW Ford Bronco plug-hybrid coming

Ford is secretly developing an advanced new plug-in hybrid powertrain for its all-new Bronco that’s so powerful that the electrified variant could be badged as the Ford Bronco Raptor.

According to US blog

Engineers are said to be in the process of tailoring the twin-turbo engine and 10-speed automatic transmission seen in the Aviator PHEV, which entails retuning the high-output (363kW/854Nm) plug-in hybrid powertrain to produce around 330kW and well in excess of 900Nm.

If true, the plug-in Ford Bronco hybrid, which should have a pure-electric range of around 50km, will be significantly quicker than the upcoming Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 392 – even with its 6.4-litre V8 Hemi under the bonnet. Jeep is also working on a Wrangler PHEV.

According to other rumours with that level of power and torque and a 0-100km/h sprint of less than five second on the cards, Ford execs are planning to badge the plug-in Bronco as a Raptor.

If so, the fast Bronco flagship will come with a higher-performance chassis, sportier styling and advanced electronics.

Originally, the plug-in hybrid Bronco was set to make its debut next year, but these plans have been pushed back to 2022, says The Fast Lane – the same year a hybrid version of the Ford Maverick ute will launch.

The Maverick has already been ruled out for Australia, but the Bronco could be back on following the recruitment of a new chief for Ford’s Australian and New Zealand operations.