Ford's 2020 Bronco taking shape

The hype surrounding Ford’s born-again Bronco continues to gather momentum, despite the fact it’s at least three years away from showrooms.

The return of Ford’s famous Bronco nameplate first made news in October last year, when a spat between the Blue Oval and then-presidential hopeful Donald Trump led to a US union official revealing that a new-generation Bronco would be built alongside the new Australian-engineered, US-market Ranger ute in Michigan.

Ford has since officially confirmed the born-again Bronco, announcing in January that its cult SUV will return to showrooms in 2020 following a 20-year hiatus.

As we reported in November, it will be built on the same modified T6 platform now being developed in Australia for Ford’s new-generation Ranger due in 2019.

Although final engineering and exterior design will be handled by Ford’s Dearborn HQ, Ford’s Victorian-based Asia Pacific product development team is already heavily involved in the engineering of the new Bronco.

Ford has all but confirmed the 2020 Bronco will be a global model destined for release in both left- and right-hand drive markets, including Australia – although Ford chairman Bill Ford told motoring.com.au “We haven’t announced that yet”.

“We’re bringing back the Ford Bronco in 2020,” said Joe Hinrich, president of Ford’s Americas division, in January.

“It too will be built right here in our Michigan assembly plant. It’s a name you’ve known and loved for decades. Bronco is one of five global SUVs coming in 2020.”

Ford is yet to reveal whether the next Bronco will be available, like its iconic predecessors, in both short-wheelbase two-door form and volume-selling long-wheelbase five-door form -- as rendered here for the first time with its expected ‘Air Roof’ by fan site Bronco6g.com.

Nor has Ford announced Bronco powertrains, although it’s likely to share at least the Ranger’s five-cylinder 3.2-litre turbo-diesel, as well as the 3.5-litre V6 turbo engine expected to power the all-new Ranger Raptor, potentially spelling a Bronco Raptor.

However, our sources not only remain adamant the Bronco will be sold here, but that it will wear a completely different bodyshell to the next-generation Everest (also based on the Ranger’s T6 ladder frame) and that “it wouldn’t be a Bronco without a two-door version”.

First released back in 1966 based on the F-Series and produced in Australia from 1981 to 1987, Ford’s most famous SUV was renowned for its toughness and dependability in the US and stayed on sale for five generations until it was eventually replaced in 1996 by the hulking Expedition SUV.

The smaller Bronco II two-door joined it on sale between 1983 and 1990 and the T6-based newcomer is likely to continue in its footsteps as a large, full-chassis off-road SUV alternative to Ford’s Mondeo-based Explorer and the smaller Edge due on sale here next year.

Likewise, in Australia, where the Everest rivals Toyota’s Prado, the Bronco would pick up where the Japanese brand’s FJ Cruiser leaves off, as well as being a rival for the next year’s all-new Jeep Wrangler.

As such, expect it to be available not only in two-door and four-door body styles, but perhaps even with all of the Ranger’s running gear, including 4x2, 4x4, manual, automatic and low-range drivetrains, as well as a range of genuine accessories and even official Ford Performance parts.

It seems the only question remaining is whether the sixth-generation Bronco is also produced alongside the next Ranger and Everest in Thailand for Asia Pacific markets, which could make it a genuine, affordable successor for a model best known as OJ Simpson’s getaway vehicle.