Ford’s iconic trucks the Bronco and the Ranger will make a comeback after a year of rumors and discontinuation since 2011.
The company determined that the F-150 was still too large for drivers who desired a smaller, more cozy pickup. This, paired with lower gas prices and moderate success by its competitors by selling smaller trucks, had Ford decide to relaunch its iconic Ranger sometime over the course of 2018.
On the other hand, there’s the Ford Bronco, which will shine in the eyes of buyers thanks to its off-road driving ability. Reportedly, the Bronco will be based on the Ranger, but with a more robust design that will take influence from its previous iterations.
Bronco and Ranger to take the road by storm
Ford enthusiasts were skeptical about the new Bronco being too similar to the Everest, which is an SUV that Ford sells in Australia and several nearby countries, but official spokesmen assure that there is no plan for bringing a truck that is reminiscent of the Everest to the United States.
Controversy sparked after a Reddit Ask Me Anything about Ford was debunked by chairman Raj Nair as he was interviewed on Autoline TV. Now we know that the new Bronco will be more like a Jeep Wrangler than an Everest, although not much details were shared. When asked specifically about the new Bronco being a revamped Everest, Raj Nair stated that they are separated vehicles, while the Bronco will be a better vehicle.
“The Everest kind of serves a lot of off-road capability; maybe the space the Explorer serves here in the U.S., but with a body-on-frame construction with a lot more off-road capability for the rest of the world. This Bronco is completely unique from that Everest. It is body-on-frame and so again, focusing on that off-road capability,” stated Nair on the interview.
Initially, the Ranger and Bronco were confirmed to be body-on-frame vehicles by Bill Ford at the Detroit Auto Show this week. Concept art of the Bronco has been released but now it seems that truck enthusiasts will have to wait until more official information is released by Ford, seeing that it might not want to disappoint fans by launching a lackluster version of one of its most iconic trucks.
As it was introduced in 1966, the Bronco was conceived to serve as competition to the smaller four-wheel-drive SUVs that were popular at the time, mainly in the form of Chrysler’s Jeep CJ-5 and the Scout. For the Bronco, Ford took an F-Series chassis and shortened it to make a sportier version of the vehicle.
The result was an off-road-vehicle, known for the shape of its back cabin and its ample internal space. Throughout all of its history, the Bronco remained strictly influenced by the F-Series, becoming the ideal alternative for drivers who desired a large pickup that could be comfortable and sturdy at the same time, while also having the reliability and character of a Ford truck.
Source: NASDAQ