Five things new Bronco must have
Stakes are high for the return of this pioneering SUV that won the hearts of auto enthusiasts
For 30 years, the Ford Bronco graced our roads with commanding presence. An off-road icon, a movie favourite — and the favourite SUV for more than one Hollywood actor — the Bronco holds a distinguished place in the pantheon of automotive history. We love it still.
Now the big bear is coming out of hibernation. Even after production ceased in 1996, the Bronco remained a favourite for the off-road, outdoors and surfer sets. Older models soared in value. And now an all-new, sixth-generation Bronco is almost here, to be revealed in January in Detroit after more than a 20-year sleep. We know it will almost certainly have a hybrid option, that it will probably come as both a two-door and a fourdoor, and that it will be based on the 2019 Ranger medium-size truck. Whether it gets a “sky roof ” or removable top is still open for debate, but there are certain things the 2020 Bronco must undeniably possess. Here are five we want.
1 DESIGN
Trends are fickle, so instead of adopting today’s truck “design language,” the Bronco needs its own identity, much the same way as the Ford GT found a breakthrough look. The next Bronco needs to be steeped in style without looking dorky. It should be the vehicle that restaurant valets can’t wait to get their hands on, the one they park out front while ignoring the waiting Ferrari California or Tesla. And it ought to give nod to the Broncos that came before, picking up on the design preferences seen on fan sites such as bronco6g.com. What it should not be is a smaller, awkward version of the F-150 or Ranger. Make it true, honest and attractive and the new Bronco will be unmistakably Bronco.
2 OFF-ROAD OWNERSHIP
To compete with the Jeep Wranglers, 4Runners and Colorado ZR2s of the world, Ford’s newest SUV not only needs the chops for off-road, it needs to own the off-road. That means locking front, centre and rear differentials, manual transfer cases that don’t prevent 4WD from engaging when the engine throws a light. It means decent ground clearance and departure angles, crawl and descent control, and the ability to conquer the Rubicon.
But aside from those features, the Bronco needs the durability to allow its drivers to beat on the Bronco all day long in the backwoods, then drive home at the end of the day to pick up the spouse from the office. Think Mercedes G Wagon capability with Toyota FJ dependability.
3 RANGE OF ENGINE OPTIONS
Ford has an excellent arsenal of engines it could install in the Bronco, starting with the Ranger’s 2.3-litre twin-scroll turbocharged four-cylinder that’s expected to have about 280 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. But it shouldn’t stop there, nor is Ford likely to, given the range of options in the F-150. Adding the F-150’s 2.7-L V6 EcoBoost with its 400 lb-ft of torque would be a serious step up in performance without a major fuel-economy penalty. Most likely, there will be no manual transmission, only the six- or 10-speed automatic, which, coincidentally, work very well with the 5.0-L V8 and new 3.0-L diesel. Those four engine options would cater to a whole range of tastes, needs and users — and the diesel would give it a seriously competitive edge while providing more than 5,000 lbs of towing capability.
4 SIMPLICITY AND UTILITY
Cars are extremely complex, with a million things that can go wrong at any time, so anything that can be done to simplify the 2020 Bronco would go a long way to enhancing its virtue. Lots of people find tech-laden cars absolutely maddening, as automakers rely on digital controls to perform tasks that a simple knob can do. Confusing and complex touch-screen controls can also lead to consumer complaints, as Ford learned with its early Sync systems, lowering the vehicle’s rating by agencies that included Consumer Reports or Edmunds. This doesn’t mean a return to the late 1960s era of Bronco basics; instead, keep to proven, user-friendly technology in a package that’s tidy and uncluttered. Make it simple, smart, intuitive. Make use of the things that work: seats with ample storage under them, tailgates that open, rear windows that power down, seats that configure
for superior cargo room, a spare tire that’s not in the way, a dash that’s easy to see over, controls that anyone can sort out. In other words, mix old school with proven technology.
5 DRIVEABILITY AND LIVABILITY
Vehicles that are great off road tend to be less great on road. Striking a balance between highway comfort and off-road crawling will require some deft engineering and suspension mastery, and the Ford Raptor shows that it can be done. But much like those early Broncos that delivered such a raw and emotional feeling behind the wheel, so too should the sixth-generation. Give it some sound, give the steering a ton of feedback, make the brakes feel strong. Don’t over-insulate the driver from the machinery he or she is operating — take a page from Mazda’s CX-5 that delivers such a universally great driving experience. Giving a vehicle several layers of feel goes a long way to giving it some soul, something those old Broncos had plenty of, which makes them the desirable trucks they are today.