Ford cancels the project to bring a pickup version of the Bronco to market in 2023-2024. Does the company want to avoid internal competition?
For some time now we’ve been hearing the Blue Oval plans to expand the Bronco lineup by adding a pickup truck based on the Bronco SUV – with the same underpinning, powertrain, styling, equipment.
The idea is not new. The Ford Bronco’s direct competitor – the Jeep Wrangler has a ‘relative’ – the Jeep Gladiator pickup built on the Wrangler’s platform. Probably, Ford Motors wanted to use the same formula for its new Bronco, but, as reported by Automotive News, has changed its mind.
The Bronco pickup would have stood in line with the mid-size Ford Ranger between the compact Maverick and full-size F-150. There is a fear the Bronco could create overlap with the Ranger and lure customers away from it. Apparently, the company does not want to risk the Ford Ranger sales which are quite good in America and high in several markets worldwide.
As far as we can see, Ford drops the Bronco pickup but will expand the Bronco SUV lineup. In particular, a hot Bronco Raptor and a hybrid Bronco will join in the coming years. There will be more versions, different packages, we believe.
Сustomer deliveries of the Bronco already started, albeit with delays. This year (year-to-date), Ford sold 4,078 Bronco vehicles, 64,331 Ranger pickup trucks, 62,820 Bronco Sport crossovers in the United States.
