If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Those are the words Ford lives by when it comes to the current, sixth-generation Bronco, which has been on sale since the 2021 model year and has yet to receive a mid-cycle refresh or redesign; the automaker prefers to make incremental yet meaningful changes to the SUV. Customers are responding well to this strategy, and for the upcoming model year, there's something extra to look forward to: Ford says it will be giving the 2027 Bronco "a new engine," reports Ford Authority. Bronco engineer and development driver Seth Goslawski said earlier this year that the 2027 Bronco will get an "obvious" update, and that has many wondering if Ford is about to create a hybrid Bronco.Ford Bronco Could Finally Go HybridFordRumors of a Bronco Hybrid have been circulating since as far back as 2020, but they've picked up steam again in August after Automotive News, generally a reliable source of insider information, claimed a Bronco Hybrid would debut in 2027. It's also worth mentioning that this new report claims Ford said the new engine is not the recalibrated four-cylinder engine in the Bronco RTR, nor the V6 in the Bronco Filson, and with Ford CEO Jim Farley saying at the beginning of the year that Bronco buyers "should expect a lot of exciting powertrains" for 2027 while ruling out the Chinese Bronco New Energy powertrain for the U.S., we can only assume that Ford is working on something special just for us. The question is, if the Bronco is about to be electrified, how? Mild-hybrid, plug-in hybrid, range-extender, or something else?Related: 2027 Ford Bronco RTR Starts Nearly $30k Below the Bronco RaptorWith Farley previously saying that the company is aware of Bronco buyers' desire for more power options like the Pro Power Onboard system, something relatively traditional seems likely, and Ford already has a good base to work from – the Bronco is underpinned by the T6 platform, an architecture shared with the Ranger. That matters because other markets get access to a 2.3-liter plug-in hybrid Ranger with Pro Power Onboard, so the groundwork for electrifying the platform has already been done. However, with just 277 horsepower combined, perhaps the U.S.-spec model could and should get the 2.7-liter EcoBoost as a base. But there's one more possibility.Time for a V8 Ford Bronco?FordWhen an American automaker talks about "exciting powertrains," our minds immediately think of the V8. In 2020, Ford said a V8-powered Bronco couldn't happen because of emissions regulations, but with President Trump rolling fuel economy standards back by years, those constraints may not be as relevant anymore. While this remains only an outside possibility, the Bronco DR from 2021 (pictured above) proves a V8 can be crammed under the Bronco's hood. Of course, such a thing may prove considerably more expensive than a Bronco Raptor, which already knocks on the door of $80,000. Hopefully, Ford will give us more clues soon.
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