Ford boss hints at right-hand drive Bronco, unlocking the door for Australia

In excellent news for Australian followers of the retro Ford Bronco off-roader, the Blue Oval’s boss has offered the largest trace but that it’ll lastly be inbuilt right-hand drive.

Launched in 2020 following a 25-year break from when the last-generation Bronco was produced, Ford’s rugged SUV has change into a preferred providing within the US, not just for its Jeep Wrangler-rivalling off-road skills but additionally for its throwback design.

Nevertheless, regardless of being based mostly on the identical T6 platform because the Ranger – of which Ford Australia led improvement – the Bronco has rolled off US and Chinese language manufacturing strains completely in left-hand drive.

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Whereas Ford CEO Jim Farley has beforehand mentioned the Bronco could possibly be inbuilt right-hand drive, overwhelming demand for the mannequin has meant doing so would restrict output for present markets the place it’s a giant revenue booster.

Nevertheless, talking to the UK’s Car Magazine, Mr Farley seems to be extra open to a right-hand drive Bronco, which could possibly be bought not solely there but additionally in Australia and New Zealand.

“The large Bronco will do right-hand drive and I believe it’s price a attempt,” Mr Farley mentioned.

Mr Farley particularly referenced British off-road automobile icon Land Rover being bought by Ford to Tata in 2008, suggesting the Blue Oval might ultimately return to an identical section by way of the Bronco.

“We had a break-up with a wedding there. The following step is to go courting once more, proper?”

If it did come to Australia, the Ford Bronco could be a pure competitor to the Jeep Wrangler, which loved a growth in gross sales all through the COVID-19 pandemic however has since throttled again following vital worth will increase.

When Mr Farley final spoke of the Bronco being on the playing cards for right-hand drive, Ford had solely simply launched its current-generation Ranger, which has since change into the best-selling automobile in Australia, toppling the Toyota HiLux.

Whereas there’s no indication on after we might doubtlessly see the Bronco on native shores with manufacturing facility backing, in 2022 Mr Farley mentioned the model’s order books stretched to now, and that it was working to clear the backlogs.

“We might do Bronco and Bronco Sport for the globe for positive. However we’ve got like a 12 months or two of orders for now, we’ve got a number of work to do with capability earlier than we are able to even think about that,” Mr Farley instructed CarExpert.

“In fact it may be engineered, like Mustang, however we’ve got to put money into the capability.

“We’re nonetheless within the first or second inning… So give us a while.”

Within the US, the Ford Bronco is accessible in each two- and four-door physique kinds, every with a selection of petrol engines.

These comprise a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder (205kW/427Nm), a twin-turbocharged 2.7-litre V6 (235kW/556Nm), and a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6 (312kW/597Nm) within the flagship Raptor, which places out greater than the Ranger Raptor in Australia.

A ten-speed automated transmission is accessible throughout the vary, whereas the entry-level engine is the one one to attain the choice of a seven-speed handbook.

Drive is distributed to all 4 wheels by way of a two-speed switch case, which may both be manually or routinely managed.

US patrons additionally get to purchase a smaller Bronco-badged SUV if they need the rugged seems with out the identical degree of functionality and efficiency.

The Bronco Sport shares its underpinnings with the Escape, and may be had with a turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder (135kW/260Nm) or turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine (183kW/373Nm), each mated to eight-speed automated transmissions and driving all 4 wheels.

Just like the full-size Bronco, it’s not made in right-hand drive. In contrast to the Bronco, it isn’t exported to Europe, the place the Escape – recognized there because the Kuga – lives on after being axed in Australia.

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