Ford Bronco v Jeep Wrangler

The 2021 Ford Bronco has finally been revealed – and it’s bristling for a fight with the Jeep Wrangler.

Both machines are genuine off-road 4x4s, hard-core mud-slingers with firetrail-ready hardware like low-range ratios, mega ground clearance, solid axles and removable doors and roof panels designed to create a sense of adventure and freedom.

Ford knew it had to bring its A-game to gain ground in Wrangler’s heartland, which Jeep has cultivated for over three decades, so it started with the Australian-developed Ranger’s rugged T6 ladder frame.

Even before the Bronco was revealed, Ford execs threw the first blow in what looks set to be protracted punch-on by saying the Bronco would destroy the Wrangler off-road.

But is the Ford Bronco hard-core enough to entice current and would-be Wrangler buyers? Let’s take a closer look.

The Jeep Wrangler is offered with a 3.6-litre petrol V6 (209kW/347Nm) and a 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel (147kW/450Nm), both hooked up to eight-speed automatics. In the US there’s also a 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine (200kW/400Nm) and a 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 (195kW/600Nm).

Jeep also has a plug-in hybrid powertrain in the works for the Wrangler and, at the other end of the spectrum, a pumped-up 6.4-litre HEMI V8 (336kW/610Nm), which will make the Wrangler very lively on-road and off.

While the Ford Bronco doesn’t offer diesel mills, hybrids or a V8 (yet), it has a pair of turbo-petrol engines that are more sophisticated than Wrangler’s petrol V6. There’s an entry-level 2.3-litre four-cylinder from the Mustang and Focus ST (200kW/420Nm) and a muscular 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6 (230kW/540Nm).

There’s also talk of the Bronco Warthog coming in future, which will get either a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 from the F-150 Raptor or possibly even the Mustang’s 5.0-litre V8.

Hard-core Jeep Wrangler Rubicon models offer heavy-duty Dana 44 solid front and rear axles, plus the US off-road brand’s Rock-Trac 4×4 system with ‘Tru-Lock’ front and rear differentials. There is a low-range transfer case and a disconnecting front stabiliser bar too.

When the top-spec 4x4 system is optioned on the Ford Bronco, it comes with a low-range transfer case, Dana 44 AdvanTEK solid rear axle and Dana AdvanTEK independent front-end. Both axles can be optioned with electronic locking diffs too and, like the Wranger, it has a disconnecting front stabiliser bar to allow for greater axle articulation for hard-core off-roading.

The Bronco is offered with tyres measuring up to 35-inch from the factory, where Wrangler Rubicon models get 33-inch off-road tyres in the US (but not Australia).

The Jeep Wrangler is offered in short-wheelbase two-door and long-wheelbase four-door (‘Unlimited’) body styles and if you count the Jeep Gladiator, it’s even available in pick-up form.

While the Ford Bronco isn’t yet offered in ute guise, it matches the Wrangler with a pair of body configurations – two-door and four-door. One could argue it trumps the Wrangler with a third member of the Bronco family, even if the Bronco Sport is a smaller and less capable car-based mid-size SUV akin to a Subaru Forester.

The Jeep Wrangler is like the Porsche 911 of the 4WD world, sporting an unmistakable design that has retained its boxy shape and bold headlights since its inception in 1986. And the iconic seven-slot grille can be traced back to the 1941 Willys MB go-anywhere military vehicle built for the US Army.

The Ford Bronco has a strong pedigree too, starting life in 1965, but it was axed in 1996 to make way for the Explorer. Now, 24 years later, it must rebuild its brand, but the new 4WD is off to a strong start by leveraging retro design Bronco cues such as the circular headlights and bold lettering on the grille.

“They’re built with the toughness of an F-Series truck and performance spirit of Mustang – and come wrapped in one of the most stunning and functional off-road designs that’s true to the original Bronco design DNA,” espoused Ford COO, Jim Farley.

Both vehicles have removable doors and roofs (hard and soft top) but the Wrangler outdoes the Bronco with its fold-down windscreen.

The Jeep Wrangler set the pace for how an adventurous 4WD should be equipped, offering loads of useful features like oversized grab handles, washable rubber mats, elasticised storage nets and a robust design with good vision in all directions.

While both interiors can be hosed out if they get filthy, the Bronco’s inclusion of marine-grade vinyl seat upholstery and drainage plug in the floor is pretty cool.

The Ford Bronco gets similar grab handles to the Wrangler but adds things like a built-in device rack to attach a GoPro, GPS or smartphone. And if bigger is better, then the Bronco’s massive 12-inch touch-screen infotainment system will appeal more than the Wrangler’s 8.4-inch touchscreen.

To compare apples with apples we’ll look at US pricing, which shows the Wrangler to be slightly more affordable with prices between $US28,000 and $US50,000.

Meantime, the new Ford Bronco has been pegged between $US29,000 and $US60,000.

Well, Wrangler wins this one as it’s sold in right-hand drive markets including Australia.

Although Aussies are crying out for the new Bronco, it’s a North American proposition only at this stage. Ford Australia CEO Kay Hart previously told carsales there were no plans for the Bronco to head Down Under, where the nameplate was last sold in the 1980s, but she hasn’t ruled it out either.

“We’re happy with the [local SUV] line-up as it stands, but that’s not to say we wouldn’t look to add to the range in future,” she stated.