Ever since rumors first surfaced that Ford was bringing back the Bronco as an off-road ready 4×4 heavy on retro styling, it was clear that Ford had the Jeep Wrangler set firmly in its sights.
This was confirmed last month when Ford finally debuted the production spec 2021 Bronco in both two and four-door variants, along with the crossover-based 2021 Bronco Sport.
Jeep owners and enthusiasts are known to be furiously loyal, and Ford is going to have its work cut out for it when it comes to winning over the Jeep faithful. It’s important to note while the 2021 Bronco’s specs look very competitive out of the box, there aren’t too many Jeep buyers who leave their Wranglers 100% stock.
The Wrangler has always been a vehicle that’s been about its custom potential as much as its stock capability. And for every person that purchases the top of the line model, there’s another who purchases the base model with plans to modify to their own tastes.
New “Big Bronco” Concept Vehicles
So for the Bronco to truly win over the Jeep fans, it’s going to need to deliver this same “blank canvas” feeling that encourages owners to upgrade and customize their rigs to fit their own needs and style.
Naturally the automakers themselves like to get on in this action as well, with Jeep famously offering an array of factory accessories through Mopar, with around 500 different items to choose from.
In response to this Ford will be debuting its own line of factory accessories for the Bronco, and they’ve just debuted a handful of accessorized concepts to show the appeal of these parts.
Two accessorized “big” Bronco concepts were presented, a four-door aimed at fishing expeditions and two-door that’s been upgraded for trail use with items like a Ford Performance modular front bumper and tube doors.
New Bronco Sport Concepts
The Bronco Sport has also gotten a lot of love with three different concepts including one built for trails and another that’s been set up for towing a Polariz RZR for double the off-pavement fun.
The outfitting of crossover SUVs for off-road adventuring is a new and emerging market, and with the Bronco Sport it looks like Ford is fully committed to this potentially huge segment.
All told, Ford is planning to introduce over 200 different factory-backed accesories for the Bronco and another 100 for the Bronco Sport, and it looks like all of them set to be available at launch.
While it’s nice to see Ford’s commitment to making the Bronco an upgrade-friendly platform these accessories are really just scratching the surface.
Had their been a 2020 SEMA Show this fall there’s no doubt Ford’s booth and countless other booths would have been filled with modified and customized examples of the Bronco and Bronco Sport.
Yet even with the cancellation of this year’s SEMA Show amidst the pandemic there’s no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot more aftermarket upgrades for the Bronco in the coming months—and the coming years as well.
Whether its at the dealership, on the trail or in the hearts and pocketbooks of upgrade-loving enthusiasts, this battle between the Bronco and the Jeep is shaping up to be a great one.
Keyword: The Rush is On: How the 2021 Ford Bronco Is Trying to Steal Jeep's Aftermarket Thunder