2020 Ford Bronco confirmed

Blue oval confirms iconic off-roader's return will utilise Aussie-developed Ranger platform

Andrew Maclean
Ford Executive Vice President and President of the Americas for Ford Motor Company, Joe Hinrichs announces plans for a 2020 Bronco at the North American International Auto show, Monday, Jan. 9, 2017, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Carlos Osorio) Photo: CARLOS OSORIO

Ford Australia is helping to tame another of the blue oval's iconic pony cars.

The American car maker confirmed that from 2020 it will re-introduce the Bronco - the infamous off-roader that was being driven by O.J Simpson while being pursued by LA Police in 1994 - with confirmation that it will be based on the same rugged underpinnings as the Ranger ute and Everest four-wheel drive that have been developed by Ford's Australian engineering division.

While the Bronco will utilise the Ranger's basic ladder-frame chassis and other major components, the rest of the car will be designed and engineered in the US where it will also be built.

021037 Ford Bronco Concept vehicle. drive pic Ford BRONCO concept 4WD / off-roader. S Photo: Ford

Ford's Chief Technical Officer and Executive Vice President of Product Development, Raj Nair, was reluctant to reveal any further details on the Bronco when quizzed by Drive at the 2017 Detroit motor show.

But he dismissed any suggestion the car will be a re-badged version of the Everest, claiming the car will be different and "will live up to the heritage" of the original as a "capable and confident all-rounder", indicating it will likely ride on a shorter wheelbase and trade on the icon's boxy style. Whether it will be offered in a three-door body style, like the original, has yet to be revealed.

Nair was also reluctant to confirm whether the car will be offered to right-hand drive markets such as Australia.

The Bronco will be one of five new SUVs under development at Ford, including a fully-electric small model that it claims will have up to 500km range.

Ford last toyed with reviving the Bronco more than a decade ago when it revealed a concept car at the 2004 Detroit motor show.

At the same time as the Bronco announcement, Ford also confirmed the Ranger ute will be sold in the US from 2019, consolidating the Australian division's position as the development centre for the T6 program that underpins it, the Everest SUV and upcoming Bronco.

The move could open up significant new options for the local Ranger, including the potential availability of a petrol engine option.

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