When Ford finally revealed the all-new 2021 Bronco, it’s clear they saw the Jeep Wrangler and went for the jugular. Rumor has it that Ford isn’t done. As with the Mustang brand, Ford is developing Bronco to be its own sub brand. Starting with the Bronco and Bronco Sport, their rumored plans are to include a Bronco Sport based unibody pickup truck and a Bronco based truck, aimed squarely at the Jeep Gladiator.
If there's one thing Ford knows how to make, it's a truck. With the Bronco brand, they look to fill-in some gaps in the Ford truck line up with a few new models.
Bronco Maverick
From what has leaked, the Bronco Sport based truck will be called the Maverick. The Maverick name hasn't been used in the United States since 1977 when it was branded on a rear wheel drive compact car.
That was the last time the Maverick name was attached to a long hood fastback. Outside of the US, the Maverick was revived as a compact SUV in foreign markets as recently as 2005. In Australia, the Maverick was a rebadged Nissan Patrol which was sold between 1988-1994. In Europe, it was a rebranded Nissan Terrano II (pictured below) and was sold between 1993-1999. The Maverick then reemerged in 2001 as a rebranded Ford Escape and sold until 2005.
The upcoming resurrection of the Maverick name is expected to be a pickup truck smaller than the Ford Ranger. It is said to have a bed that is 24-30 inches shorter than the Ranger. Beneath its body panels, it is rumored to share underpinnings with the Ford Focus.
From what we know about the upcoming Maverick, it sounds like it will be more of a workhorse than an off-roader. Ford is looking to cater to those who find the Honda Ridgeline too big and fill the gap left by the Subaru Baja and long departed Ford Ranchero/Chevy El Camino. By the time it hits the market in 2022, it will likely go head-to-head with Hyundai’s Tuscon based unibody truck, the Santa Cruz. Could the Bronco Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz kick off a unibody pickup truck war?
Bronco Based Truck
As the Bronco had its sights set on the Wrangler, the Bronco based truck will aim to crush the Gladiator.
The Bronco truck is expected to have the same 2.3L four cylinder and 2.7L turbocharged V6 powertrain options, crew cab four door configuration, Sasquatch package, GOAT modes, as well as many of the design features will carry over to the yet-to-be named Bronco truck.
Though a 3.0L V6 is rumored to be in the pipeline for the Bronco, an engine rumored to be powering the next generation Ford Raptor, other sources say that the Bronco truck may get a V8 option. The lack of a V8 option was something that many Bronco purists cried about when the 2021 model was revealed earlier this Summer.
One of the complaints about Jeep’s Gladiator is that it is not available in a 2-door option. Will Ford listen to the market and offer a 2-door Bronco truck?
Only time will tell and there is plenty of time. Like the Bronco, Ford will likely not rush it out to market to make sure they get it right. The Bronco based truck isn’t expected to make into dealers until 2024. When it does come out, we're sure it will be as exciting as the new Bronco SUV.
(Renderings courtesy of Bronco 6G)