New Bronco to be fully accessorized
Taking a page from the Jeep playbook, it seems Ford will offer a load of accessories and merchandise — more than 150 pieces, in fact — to go along with the Bronco and Bronco Sport when they finally appear in dealer lots.
Ford likely sees the huge catalogue offered at Jeep and, with many Wrangler buyers kitting out their new vehicle at dealer level, must feel it left money on the table.
The vast majority of accessories from a Ford catalogue can be rolled into the vehicle, serving to increase the average transaction price (a key metric in measuring a vehicle’s success) while also posting extra profits to Ford Credit’s side of the ledger. After all, the entire amount will be subject to interest unless the customer pays for the accessories up front.
There was a time when off-road gearheads would drive straight to an aftermarket performance shop after leaving the dealer lot. Sometimes those mods would scupper a truck’s warranty, leaving customers potentially holding the bag if their rig ’s transmission decided to reduce itself to 10,000 oily bottle caps at some point after the mods were installed.
Chevy is playing a similar game but has a tag-team partner. Experienced off-road company AEV came on board with the Bison trim of the Colorado ZR2 pickup, lending its expertise to the crafting of stout bumpers, snorkel kits and off-road skid plates. The wait shouldn’t be long — Ford has promised to show the Bronco this year.