The 2020 Ford Bronco is one of the most sought after SUVs that will ever be produced, and yet, no one really knows all that much about it. We know what we want it to look like–thanks Bronco6G–but we have no idea if Ford will actually deliver a modern version of the iconic SUV that lives up to the three decades of heritage. Obviously, we’re not satisfied with the information we’ve heard so far, so we dug through everything we could find on the Internet. This is what we know so far about the 2020 Ford Bronco.
Where Did All This Information Come From?
During the 2017 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, Ford announced in giant white letters on a golden background that the Bronco was officially coming in 2020… and that’s all the information the brand itself provided.
Ford has an official page up titled “The Legendary Ford Bronco – SUV Returning by Popular Demand,” but even that page has nothing more than some lifestyle images and some copy about the vehicle being one of the “world’s leading 4×4 vehicles for three decades.”
Thankfully, there’s a Gear Patrol exclusive with leaked details on the new Bronco direct from a Ford Engineer that clears up a few things while simultaneously leaving us with more questions than we had going in to this entire SUV exploration.
Why Change the Concepts We Already Saw?
Unfortunately, all those images about the Bronco officially coming back with the Ranger hot on its heels were nothing more than fan renderings from the die hard community at Bronco6G. The renderings are gorgeous. They’re stupidly gorgeous. They do the vintage SUV of our dreams justice while still being completely modernized. But again, they’re nothing more than a pipe dream at this point.
If the blue oval built the truck exactly as depicted in these renderings there would be lines around the block to pre-order. But that’s not how mass market cars or trucks are made.
Who Designed It and How Does It Look?
According to that GP interview, the new Bronco suffers from “paralysis by analysis.” Even though only one design phase is typical for most automobiles, the Bronco is currently in its third because it’s being designed by committee. As it stands, Ford still feels it “looks too much like a Wrangler,” so back to another design study it goes.
According to the same engineer, though, it’s based on the same basic concept as Brazil’s Ford Troller. For the record, Ford’s been responsible for quite a few great international vehicles that never made it Stateside–Australia’s Falcon Ute is the first that comes to mind–so don’t immediately dismiss the 2020 Ford Bronco because it’s based on an existing international vehicle.
What About the Platform and Power Plant?
According to everything we know, the new 2020 Bronco is only going to be available as a four-door SUV built on the upcoming 2019 Ford Ranger pickup platform that will meet or exceed the 500mm water wading depth requirements with potential FX4/Raptor upgrade options. These details, like everything else, still haven’t been confirmed. There are even rumors that Dana, the same company that makes the axles under the Wrangler Rubicon, will be supplying solid axles on both the front and rear for the new Bronco.
If Gear Patrol’s information from their engineer exclusive is to be believed–why else would Ford reps respond to their post at all–this beast is going to be powered by a 325 horsepower, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 from the Fusion sedan with the potential for a hybrid version.
When Can I Buy It?
Supposedly both the new Bronco and the Ranger platform it’s built on are scheduled to debut at next year’s–you guessed it!–North American International Auto Show in Detroit during January to bring this entire situation back full circle to where it was originally debuted. Seeing as how everyone including Road & Track believes this new Bronco (in whatever form) will be unveiled at this show we’re inclined to believe that we’re going to see a whole new mid-sized SUV in Detroit next year.
Do I Want One?
If you have to ask this question, you’re probably not the target market. Is it going to satisfy all the childhood desires of everyone that fell asleep looking at SUV posters instead of 80’s cars? Is it going to be worth the price premium over the Jeep Wrangler or Wrangler Unlimited? Are you actually going to want to park one in your driveway? If we’re being completely honest, we’re not comfortable answering that question until we see the specs and the final production model in person. Hopefully the final product is worth the years (decades!) of waiting.
