Everything we know about the all-new Ford Bronco coming in 2020 | McLarty Daniel Ford

Is there anything better than running into an old friend you haven’t seen in awhile? You know: catch up, see how you’re doing, count each others’ new wrinkles and share a laugh. It’s a grand ol’ time. If you’re a long time fan of Ford trucks, one old friend you might love to see on the street again is the iconic Ford Bronco. Debuted in 1966, the original Ford Bronco has since become an icon of automotive style, with timeworn examples sought out and lovingly restored by fans of the model. Sadly, everything has a lifespan, and after several redesigns, including a turn away from the mid-sized profile of the first-gen originals in favor of full-size, Ford announced they would discontinue the Ford Bronco in 1996. Other than a tantalizing retro Bronco concept that appeared at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit in 2004, a new Ford Bronco hasn’t been seen on American highways in over 20 years.

That will soon change. After several tantalizing hints that the Bronco might make a triumphant return, Ford announced at the 2017 North American International Auto Show on January 9, 2017 that they will put a mid-sized, sixth-generation Ford Bronco back in production for the 2020 model year. Not much is certain about the all-new Bronco at this point, but read on for everything we do know about the 2020 Ford Bronco that’ll be galloping across the hills and valleys of America in the near future.

It’ll very likely be a retro-modern take on the first-gen Broncos

When the Ford Bronco Concept debuted in Detroit all the way back in 2004, Ford was already thinking in the retro-modern style that has been embraced by customers through modern revivals like the latest generation VW Beetles, Ford Mustangs, Dodge Challengers and Chevrolet Camaros. The 2004 Bronco concept was mid-sized, boxy, short wheelbase, round headlighted, and clearly modeled on the beloved first-generation Ford Broncos built between 1966-1977. Though the effort to put that concept into production failed after the introduction of the popular Ford Escape, in March 2018, Ford dropped the bombshell of a photo that accompanies this post on their social media, showing the tarped profile of the all-new 2020 Bronco prototype. You don’t need X-Ray Vision to see the boxy forms lurking underneath, which sure look like a modern take on a first-gen Bronco. That includes the high, rounded wheel arches, steeply canted rear glass, short wheelbase, wagon-like roof, square nose, and rear-mounted, full-size spare.

It’ll be made in the U.S.A

One of the first hints that both the Ranger and Bronco would be returning from the dead is a mention of both that turned up in contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers and Ford all the way back in November 2015. As written, the contract specified that as part of a $700 million dollar investment the company will make in their U.S. plants, the Ranger and the new Bronco will both be constructed at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Mich. In March 2018, the plant — which had previously been dedicated to production of the Ford Focus and C-Max Hybrid — was closed for retooling. It will reportedly re-open in October 2018 to begin production of the 2019 Ranger and, the following year, the new 2020 Bronco.

It’s designed to take on the Jeep Wrangler JL

If you’re looking for convertible, doors off, four wheeling fun from a new vehicle, right now the only game in town is the Jeep Wrangler JL. In the first quarter of 2018, the Jeep Wrangler moved more units than any vehicle in America other than the Toyota Camry, and that’s a trend that will likely continue unless a true challenger for the throne emerges. By reviving a retro Bronco for 2020, it’s clear Ford wants to get in on a share of that action, building an SUV that’s designed to compete for buyers who want a fun, easily-personalized off-roader with a classic look. Because of that, Ford experts online expect the 2020 Bronco to feature a lot of the Jeepish features that made the generation-one Broncos special, including a short wheelbase and short overhangs to help the Bronco mount and climb over obstacles, a removable hardtop or folding convertible top, an integrated, high-strength roll cage and possibly — be still, our beating hearts — easily removable doors.

It’ll share a lot of mechanicals with the new Ford Ranger

Ford is a big, global company that builds a lot of vehicles, and there’s no sense creating all-new components when you’ve already got things on the shelf that will work. For that reason, the 2020 Bronco will likely share a lot of components with the all-new 2019 Ford Ranger, including body-on-frame construction, rear-wheel drive in two-wheel versions and the 2019 Ranger’s robust off-road running gear in four-wheel drive models. If so, both will feature a solid rear axle, an independent front suspension and Ford’s EcoBoost four and six cylinder engines, which make big torque and high horsepower numbers from small packages, thanks to modern turbocharger technology.

It’ll be an off-road beast

With offerings like the Ford F-150 Raptor and the new 2019 Ranger, Ford is staking a claim as the king of the hill when it comes to building capable off-road, mud-hungry vehicles. That’s likely to continue with the 2020 Bronco. Four-wheel drive models of the Bronco will probably share the 2019 Ranger 4×4’s off-road features like tuned long-travel shocks, frame mounted steel skid plates, and the latest version of Ford’s Terrain Management System, which features a shift-on-the-fly electronically controlled transfer case with several drive modes available at the twist of switch, including normal driving, grass, gravel and snow, mud and ruts, and sand. The system also automatically controls other systems, including remapping throttle response and transmission shifting to maximize traction for the selected terrain.

It’ll likely continue Ford’s trend of smaller-and-more-powerful under the hood.

Ford seems intent on proving their ability to squeeze more and more horsepower from fewer and fewer cubic inches with the help of power-adders like turbochargers and twin-turbo systems. Witness, for instance, the 3.5-liter EcoBoost V6s that are putting out 450 hp in the Ford F-150 Raptor, and 647 hp in the Ford GT! Don’t hold your breath for similar tugboat-like power in the 2020 Bronco, but it’ll be no slouch, either. The standard engine in the 2020 Ford Bronco will likely be the same turbocharged 2.3-liter EcoBoost four cylinder that’s slated as standard equipment for the 2019 Ranger. Don’t fret that it’s only a four-holer, though. Ford has managed to squeeze up to 350 hp and 350 ft.-lb of torque out of the 2.3-liter four in the latest Ford Mustang, and given Bronco’s storied history as an off-road racer, a high-performance version — maybe even one with a high-output EcoBoost V6 — seems inevitable.

We might — might — eventually see a Raptor Bronco!

At an event held in Thailand in late 2018, Ford announced they would be building a Raptor version of the 2019 Ford Ranger, featuring an all-new 2.0-liter twin-turbodiesel four cylinder that puts out 210 hp and 369 lb.-ft. of torque, thanks to sequential turbos that kick in at different spots on the power curve, mated to the 10-speed automatic from the F-150 Raptor. Now that we’ve got you all excited, Ford also announced at the same event that the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor will only be sold in overseas markets, and not in America. Still, with the American public being as horsepower hungry as they are and the newly revived Ford Ranger and Bronco surefire hits, it wouldn’t surprise us if the Bronco eventually wore the Raptor nameplate with a corresponding power boost under the hood.

If you’re looking for something to do while waiting on the all-new 2020 Ford Bronco to arrive in dealer showrooms, come see us at McLarty Daniel Ford in Bentonville. While we don’t have the Bronco and Ranger just yet, we have plenty of great Ford off-roaders in every price range and trim package, and any one of them can satisfy the yearning for adventure in your heart until the Bronco of your dreams appears. Come see us today for a test drive, or shop our big selection of Ford cars, trucks, vans and SUVs online today!

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