cars news 10: Ford Americas Chief Says New Bronco Will be “True to its Heritage”

Ford’s big announcement at the 2017 Detroit auto show was that the Ford Ranger pickup and Ford Bronco SUV would return to the U.S. market after a long hiatus, ending months of speculation and rumors. We know the U.S.-spec Ranger will be based on the global Ranger pickup sold elsewhere in the world, but what the Bronco will look like is less certain. Now, Ford’s president of the Americas Joe Hinrichs gives us a hint what to expect.

Speaking to reporters at the Automotive News World Congress in Detroit, Hinrichs said the Bronco will be “true to its heritage,” meaning we can expect an off-road-capable SUV. The executive wouldn’t give details on the Bronco’s design or confirm whether it would have two or four doors, but did say, “You’ll recognize it as a Bronco.”

Ford executive chairman Bill Ford confirmed at the Detroit auto show this week that both the Ranger and Bronco would be body-on-frame vehicles based on the T6 platform that was engineered in Australia. That platform underpins both the global Ranger and the Ford Everest, a four-door SUV sold abroad. It’s unclear if the Bronco will be merely a warmed-over Everest or a completely new model riding on the same chassis, but Hinrich’s comments give us hope that it will be the latter. Way back in 2004, Ford showed a two-door Bronco concept (pictured above) that featured a design inspired by the original from the 1960s.

The Ford Ranger will arrive by 2019, and the Bronco will land a year later in 2020. Both vehicles will be built at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, though no jobs will be added as the new models will replace small cars that Ford will shift to another plant.

Source: Automotive News (Subscription required)