Insider says expect more Troller than Raptor too
Are you ready for a four-door Ford Bronco hybrid? A Ford engineer with loose lips claims that the next Bronco is already in its third design phase but it is still on track for a 2020 release.
The all-new mid-size SUV could start around $30,000, pack a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine, and offer a hybrid variant, an insider source tells Gear Patrol.
“They just commissioned another design study, because they feel it looks too much like a Wrangler,” the Blue Oval snitch tells the New York-based publication.
“If you’re familiar with the Troller, out of Brazil, that’s the basic concept, but it’ll look like a four-door version of that.”
Gear Patrol also reports that there will not be a two-door version, but the new Bronco will thankfully have a removable roof that comes off in three sections.
According to the report, Ford designers used a Wrangler Unlimited for comparisons and want the 2020 Bronco to be similar in use, except for rock crawling, because of the aluminum-intensive body it will share with the new Ranger.
FoMoCo hasn’t publicly said much about the next Bronco since announcing its return earlier this year at the Detroit auto show. All we know is that both the Ranger and Bronco will be built at Ford’s assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan.
“Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4×4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford president of the Americas, in a statement back in January.
So you can still plan your escape from the urban jungle in a 2020 Bronco, just don’t expect to do any hardcore rock climbing with it. Maybe just plan on some light mudding for now.
Source: Gear Patrol
