Ford boss Jim Farley has given the strongest hint yet that a forthcoming new SUV for Europe will take the Bronco name, outlining global ambitions for the fabled off-roader.
As reported by Autocar, Ford is preparing to launch a chunky new SUV inspired by its iconic US-market 4x4 to serve as an indirect replacement for the Focus, which was last year retired after 27 years.
The new American-flavoured crossover will be produced in Valencia, Spain, alongside the closely related Kuga SUV.
It will arrive in 2027, six years after Ford revived the Bronco after a 25-year-break to serve as a Jeep Wrangler rival.
Since its return, the Bronco has been a huge sales hit, spawning multiple variants such as the more road-focused Bronco Sport and even an unrelated China-specific Bronco that's offered with either an electric or range-extender (REx) powertrain.
Speaking at the Detroit motor show, Farley said "the Bronco line-up is filling out globally, and I don't think the media has caught onto that yet", suggesting that the US 4x4's name will also be used in Europe. He added: "We have great plans globally for Bronco.”
Ford is planning to launch a string of REx and hybrid cars in the US market in the coming years, and Farley said that buyers “should expect a lot of exciting powertrains for Bronco”. However, he added that there are currently no plans to offer the Chinese-market Bronco New Energy in the US.
Ford's European Bronco: what we know
Ford's crucial new SUV is expected to arrive next year.
It could be the first new car launched by Ford under the leadership of recently appointed Europe boss Jim Baumbick, under whom the company said it will look to “develop products relevant for European customers and drive faster, more efficient execution”.
The new SUV is set to share the Kuga’s C2 platform and will likewise be offered with plug-in hybrid power, in line with Ford’s strategy to continue with combustion engines in Europe following lower than expected demand for EVs.
No pure-electric version is currently understood to be in the pipeline.
However, the SUV will be extensively differentiated from the Kuga by way of a completely bespoke design treatment that takes heavy inspiration from Ford’s US line-up – with the long-running Bronco 4x4 cited as a chief influence.
Ford is leveraging its American heritage in the design of its new European-market models as part of a drive to emphasise its origins and better stand out from rivals new and old – a treatment first deployed on the Explorer electric SUV (below), which features a similarly blocky, straight-edged silhouette to its larger US-market namesake.
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I wonder how well 'leveraging its American heritage' will work in the current geopolitical climate. Ford has great European heritage that it seems all to willing to forget.
As owner of a Ford Focus, I will NEVER in life trade it for an SUV or a crossover. I´ll buy elsewhere but when I trade it, it will be for a sedan, a SW or a hatchback, but for an SUV or a crossover, NEVER.