This shouldn't come as a surprise but it's good to know it's been confirmed.
A top Ford executive has confirmed what many have highly suspected: there are more Bronco trims on the way. A lot more. Speaking at the BoA Global Automotive Summit earlier this month, Jim Baumbick, Ford’s vice president of product development operations and quality made it very clear that the Blue Oval remains bullish about its reborn SUV and Jeep Wrangler fighter.
“Derivatives are an opportunity, when you have something like a winning product like Bronco, to actually extend into new and different spaces, right, going after different customers. So there’s three examples on the screen here with Everglades, the Raptor and Heritage, all distinctly going after different customers. This is just the start. We have a ton more coming. And on Bronco, we’re never going to let the foot off the throttle pedal. We have a ton of opportunity in different spaces to speak to different customers.”
The Heritage Limited Editions, revealed last fall, are prime examples of how Ford is paying tribute to the original Bronco. Retro styling touches just so happen to look fantastic on the already retro-inspired design.
Ford made the the 3,932 Heritage Limited Edition units between two- and four-door models launching over two years. They will not be easy to obtain. Along with the Raptor and Everglades specialty trims, the Bronco lineup is already solid but the automaker clearly sees room – not to mention additional profit – for more.
“On Bronco, we’re never going to let the foot off the throttle pedal. We have a ton of opportunities in different spaces to speak to different customers,” Baumbick continued. “And I can tell you with perfect certainty if you look at something like a Bronco Raptor customer versus a Heritage customer, they’re very different. And for some customers, it’s a bit of a rustle. They want both. So this is a really incredible opportunity for us to leverage.”
It's not surprising that Ford is working hard to keep the Bronco lineup fresh since there's a heavily updated 2024 Jeep Wrangler lineup on its way. But the one key area where the Wrangler will continue to dominate is in electrification.
At present, the Wrangler 4xe lacks a direct Bronco electrified rival. Ford refuses to comment on whether it'll electrify the current generation Bronco or wait until its replacement arrives. Doing so currently might prove difficult since the Bronco rides on the aging T6 platform. But, the next generation Ranger mid-size truck, set to debut next month, employs an updated version of that platform and there have been some rumors claiming a plug-in variant is possible. This would make sense since the also upcoming and completely redesigned 2024 Toyota Tacoma will offer a hybrid option.
Although Braubick refused to go into precise details about those upcoming Bronco trims, he did say that customers expressed a desire to see a blend between the Raptor (which is getting more expensive) and Heritage Editions. The Ford Bronco has been a smash hit since the day it went on sale for the 2021 model year. Despite numerous early production hurdles, many resulting from the supply shortage caused by the pandemic, Ford has managed to get the assembly line moving again but there have still been some quality issues.
The latest of which we reported on last week when Ford recalled 992 units whose driver’s side lug nuts could cause the wheels to fall off.
Keyword: Ford Has Lots Of New Bronco Trims Coming Soon