SPY PICS: Ford Bronco Raptor spotted in Melbourne

A left-hand drive Ford Bronco Raptor ‘engineering evaluation vehicle’ has been spotted in Melbourne within months of Ford Australia confirming the wider Bronco portfolio was a chance for our market via its local right-hand drive remanufacturing project with RMA Automotive.

LHD versions of Ford’s born-again Bronco off-roader have been spotted previously in Victoria, where the T6.2 ladder-frame platform on which it and the latest Ranger ute is based were developed.

But this particular uncamouflaged example was spotted out the front of a hardware store on the weekend and there was no attempt to hide or disguise the lurid orange off-roader in any way, beyond some mildly tinted windows.

Wearing its full production-spec trimmings and hero paint colour, the five-door Raptor shares its underpinnings and running gear with Australia’s own beloved Ford Ranger Raptor and would be sure to set the cat amongst the pigeons if it was released Down Under given that – like the related pick-up – it has no direct competitor.

“Bronco is an amazing vehicle and we’d love it. We’re looking at it, but we have nothing to share,” Ford Australia president Andrew Birkic told carsales in September.

“There would be lots of decisions that would need to be made. We would go through a very rigorous process and due diligence: What’s the right way to do it? What’s the most effective way? Can we get the supply? Is it commercially viable?”

Clearly the Blue Oval is keen to answer those questions since it appears to be using the spied Bronco Raptor as a daily driver – including a run to the shops.

Whether the Bronco Raptor will be sent to the Aussie Outback for off-road, hot-weather or other durability testing outside the suburbs remains to be seen, given those tasks were already completed as part of its co-development alongside the Aussie-engineered Ranger Raptor.

It’s that pre-existing relationship with Ranger and Australia that should boost the Bronco’s chances of a local launch, since the platform is already engineered for right-hook applications, which would make RMA’s remanufacturing process all the easier.

“I think it is very doable and I’d love to have that challenge,” RMAAA general manager Trevor Negus said in September.

The images, which were posted to a national car-spotting Facebook group, have generated quite a stir in the comments section, where the general consensus is in favour of a local introduction.

However, while a Ford Australia spokesperson confirmed the vehicle in question belongs to the company, they stopped short of confirming the Bronco Raptor for local release.

“Ford’s Australian Product Design team work on a variety of global vehicle programs, including many that are not destined for Australian roads," said the spokesperson.

“The Bronco Raptor that was recently pictured in Melbourne is here for engineering validation and evaluation, however, it is not an indication of the vehicle being engineered for Australia. Bronco remains LHD only and unavailable for Australia.”

As referenced above, the Bronco Raptor is powered by the same twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6 as the Ranger Raptor, albeit with the wick turned up to the tune of 312kW/597Nm – a handy 20kW/14Nm more than the ute.