Ford Bronco right-hand drive confirmed: It will be electrified, but will it come to Australia?
Ford of Europe has announced it is well underway with developing a new family-friendly SUV that will be called the Ford Bronco when it launches in Europe in 2028, and right-hand-drive sales have already been confirmed.
Unrelated to the Ford Ranger-based Bronco sold in North America, the all-new Bronco will be mid- to large-sized, says Auto Express, and offer enough space for five passengers and their luggage. The new SUV is claimed to deliver true 4×4 capability, plus hybrid efficiency, when it arrives in two years’ time.
Built to be positioned above the current Kuga sold in Europe, Ford’s new budget Land Rover Defender rival will ape its Stateside cousin’s rugged, boxy looks that pay homage to the first-generation 4×4 sold in the US from 1965 to 1977.
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That said, the design won’t be quite as upright as the current US-spec sixth-generation model, mainly because of pressure to make it more aerodynamically efficient and capable of meeting pedestrian-impact regulations.
Sporting generous levels of ground clearance, the inbound Euro Bronco will miss out on a Ford Ranger-style ladder-frame chassis and instead be underpinned by a more car-like monocoque platform.
Priced well below a Defender, Ford is hopeful the new Bronco will attract buyers in the market for a capable SUV that can venture far further off-road than a Toyota RAV4 or Honda CR-V could dream of.
Ford has not released full details of the new hybrid powertrain but has announced it will be built at a factory in Spain.
Speaking to the British publication, Ford Europe’s general manager of passenger vehicles, Christian Weingartner, said:
“The Bronco has a very unique DNA, and that’s all-around capability when it comes to off-road driving. The vehicles are out there in that territory of off-roading. They tend to be a bit larger and pricey. We can democratise it.”
There’s no word yet on whether the Bronco will also be offered Down Under but, in the absence of a mid-size SUV in its line-up, it’s highly likely Ford Australia will want the new Bronco to slot into the range beneath the even more rugged Everest.
