Ford boss Jim Farley has provided the strongest indication yet that the Bronco – one of the brand’s most recognisable nameplates – is set to expand overseas, following reports of a European debut.
Autocar reports that 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”, before adding “we have great plans globally for Bronco.”
The publication further reported this indicates Ford will introduce the Bronco in Europe as a new model, as the American full-size Bronco (related to the Ford Everest), the Bronco Sport (based on the Escape) or China’s Bronco New Energy.
Backing up a recent report by Automotive News, the European Bronco will reportedly be affixed to an SUV which will be built in Spain from 2027, alongside the Kuga, suggesting the two vehicles may be mechanically related.
The new Bronco would lean into the trend of more SUVs adopting retro, chunky exterior styling, such as the LandCruiser Prado (sold in Europe as the Land Cruiser) and the Land Rover Defender.
The potential launch of the Bronco in Europe would see it effectively replace the Focus as Ford’s main passenger vehicle in the region, despite obviously being larger and offer new powertrains not previously available in the hatchback.
Previously, Autocar had suggested Ford’s Spanish-built SUV would be based on the ‘C2’ platform which underpins the Escape and the outgoing hatch, as well as the Kuga. This platform can also be found in North America’s Bronco Sport, plus the Maverick ute.
Meanwhile, the Automotive News report suggested the Bronco would be available with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, something which Autocar’s latest report reiterates.
This is likely in response to a poor reception to the latest Ford Explorer and Capri EVs, which have failed to sell in meaningful numbers despite using historical nameplates.
It’s not yet known whether the European Bronco would also be built in right-hand drive to be sold in the UK. While doing so would make it more appealing for Australia, it wouldn’t become a certainty for sale here.
Ford’s Australian lineup features no European-sourced vehicles following the local demise of the Escape and Puma, while the electric Puma Gen-E was ruled out from coming here at the 11th hour, with the decision understood to be related to cost.
This factor would likely also block the new Bronco from coming here, despite it potentially being a popular and much-needed player to offset the emissions of Ford’s core models, the Ranger ute and Everest SUV.
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