Ford may not be interested in passenger cars outside of the Mustang anymore, but it appears to be keen on expanding its SUV range.
A report by Automotive News claims the Ford Bronco nameplate will be used on a new SUV for Europe, set to launch in 2027.
Reportedly set to be built in Spain alongside the Kuga, the European Bronco will share boxy design cues with other versions of the SUV, such as the American full-size Bronco (related to the Ford Everest), the Bronco Sport (based on the Escape) and China’s Bronco New Energy.
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.
Previous reports such as one from Autocar had suggested a new Focus-sized SUV would be made in Spain and be based on the ‘C2’ platform which underpins the Escape and the outgoing hatch, among other models.
While the C2 architecture hasn’t yet been used in an electric vehicle, Autocar reported the mid-sized SUV would be offered as an EV, alongside more affordable petrol-hybrid versions, similar to the smaller Puma.
The most recent Automotive News report also suggests the Bronco would be available with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) powertrain, however its sources said there won’t be an EV, representing a conflict with the Autocar report.
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.
The US-built Ford Bronco isn’t sold here despite being underpinned by the same platform as the Everest and Ranger which is Australian engineered, while the made in Mexico Bronco Sport also misses out on a local berth, both due to being produced in left-hand drive only.
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