Ford confirms return of Ranger pickup and Bronco SUV

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http://www.foxnews.com/auto/2017/01/09/ford-confirms-return-ranger-pickup-and-bronco-suv.html

Ford confirms return of Ranger pickup and Bronco SUV
By Gary Gastelu Published January 09, 2017


DETROIT ? The Bronco is back!

And so is the Ranger.

Ford announced on Monday at the Detroit Auto Show that it will launch a new Ranger small pickup in 2019, followed by a Bronco SUV based on it in 2020.

The news comes several months after the plans were unofficially revealed through comments made by UAW workers who will be building the trucks at Ford?s Michigan assembly plant -- home to the original Bronco from 1966-1986.

That's not all: Ford F-150 Diesel coming in 2018

The factory was at the center of controversy recently when President-elect Donald Trump criticized Ford for moving production of its Focus cars built there today to a new facility the automaker planned to build in Mexico. Ford has since decided to scrap the new plant, and will instead expand an existing one in Mexico to accommodate the Focus production.

The Ranger was last offered in the U.S. in 2011, but a new version of it has been sold overseas ever since. The Bronco was put out to pasture in 1996, two years after one took part in the infamous O.J. Simpson low speed police pursuit through Los Angeles.

Ford didn?t offer any technical details or images of the vehicles, but suggested that the Bronco will offer serious off road capability.

This better not be another embarrassment like the new 'Cherokee.'
 
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I like the look of them both a lot but I suspect Ford may cock it up, especially for the Bronco. Isn't the Bronco going to have a 4cyl EcoBoost engine and nothing else and based on a FWD chassis with "AWD" instead of 4WD? Please correct me if I'm wrong there because that would be a shame. These two need to be on a RWD chassis with 4WD optional, period. Thing is, most people who will buy these, and by most I mean probably like 90% of them, will only care about how they look and will never use them for actual utility. :(
 
It would be great if the Bronco used the retro styling of that old concept. A removable roof section would be cool too, but I'm not going to get my hopes up.
 
I like the look of them both a lot but I suspect Ford may cock it up, especially for the Bronco. Isn't the Bronco going to have a 4cyl EcoBoost engine and nothing else and based on a FWD chassis with "AWD" instead of 4WD? Please correct me if I'm wrong there because that would be a shame. These two need to be on a RWD chassis with 4WD optional, period. Thing is, most people who will buy these, and by most I mean probably like 90% of them, will only care about how they look and will never use them for actual utility. :(

That was what was thought earlier, but if it's going to be based on a new Ranger, that's unlikely to be true. I suspect it's to be based off the current T6 Ranger sold in ROW territories.

1024px-2014_Ford_Ranger_%28PX%29_Wildtrak_4WD_4-door_utility_%282015-07-03%29_01.jpg


That's front engine with RWD or 4WD, not FailWD. Also is body on frame - so the new Bronco might *not* be an Escape with a body kit. It can only be hoped. And honestly, if they follow the Full Size Bronco formula (the one they used for my Bronco) it shouldn't be too hard to make - just cut down the parent truck a bit, make it convertible through a removable top on the back and give us a powerful motor to go kill Wranglers with.

Any Ford engineers reading this thread? Go read this. Now. http://jalopnik.com/this-is-what-makes-a-vehicle-unstoppable-off-road-512501606
 
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I still reckon your new bronco will just be a Ford Everest. It makes sense for them to be announced at the same time, what with the Everest following the gen1 Nissan Pathfinder method of how to build an SUV and using the Ranger as a base.

ford-everest-feature.jpg
 
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That was what was thought earlier, but if it's going to be based on a new Ranger, that's unlikely to be true. I suspect it's to be based off the current T6 Ranger sold in ROW territories.

So that's good news because that particular truck is awesome. :D
 
It'd be nice that these vehicles aren't priced $40+ grand.
 
I'm sure they will be priced right in line with the competition.

The Bronco may be a tough call, depending on what they do with it. If it's just another SUV, then I don't expect any surprises. But if they actually go retro and make it something unique, in a niche all its own, than it's difficult to say.
 
Better let me get a factory CB radio.
 
Ford has moved away from retro styling, so I really doubt it will have that look. I would suspect a continuation of the F-150 front end styling with some concessions made for aerodynamics. Making it look like a crossover would be a huge mistake.
 
Ford has moved away from retro styling, so I really doubt it will have that look. I would suspect a continuation of the F-150 front end styling with some concessions made for aerodynamics. Making it look like a crossover would be a huge mistake.

There needs to be some connection with the Bronco's of old though. I could see it having modern styling, but only if it's a 2-door with a removable top and serious offroad ability. If it ends up being a 4 door with a fixed roof... :yawn:
 
I would love to see a 4-door, to be honest. Even with the small back seat and cramped rear doors on the XTerra, it is loads better than a 2-door Jeep or a 2-and-a-bit on the FJ Cruiser. Since they already have the chassis, it would be easy to make a long and short wheelbase model, a longer 4-door, and a stubby little 2-door.

Plus the longer wheelbase will have a better towing capacity and have more space underneath for either a larger fuel tank or spare tire (as opposed to a tailgate mount). Something longer than a compact will be more stable on-road and off-road. The XTerra is about perfect, long enough to be stable on steep climbs and descents but short enough to be maneuverable in tight spaces.

It would also be nice if I could sleep in the back with the seats folded down, because I'm in my 30s now and done with sleeping on the ground.
 
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Several people have informed that there is already a decent offroader built off the T6 Ranger platform and it isn't the Everest. It's the Troller (gotta love the name) T4:

The Troller T4 is an off-road vehicle produced in Brazil by Ford subsidiary Troller Ve?culos Especiais S/A; the T4 is a two-door SUV with a similar layout to the Jeep Wrangler. In production since 2004, a redesign in 2014 replaced the chassis with a shortened four-wheel drive Ranger T6 frame.

More:

The Troller T4 is a four-wheel drive vehicle made by Troller Ve?culos Especiais S/A. It is available only as a two-door car with a fibreglass body and steel chassis, with a design inspired by the Jeep. It has standard 4WD, a 5-speed Eaton manual transmission and Dana axles. The engine is a 3.0 L turbo Diesel built by MWM and was introduced in 2004.[1][2]

Ford Motor Company purchased Troller in 2007. In 2014, the Troller T4 received a major redesign, is now being built on a shortened version of Ford's T6 platform for the global Ranger. Currently looks more modern form of the Jeep Wrangler and early model Ford Bronco.

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So apparently the shortened Ranger chassis already exists in a proven offroader. All Ford needs to do (provided it passes crash tests) is change the cosmetics a bit to resemble the 2004 Bronco concept more, make a removable top version standard (the older T4 apparently had one), put some more appropriate engines in it and call it good.
 
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I am unfortunately pessimistic that this will be a turd. I hope at least a naturally aspirated V6 makes it in the engine line-up.
 
The proportions look good.
 
It's definitely promising. That shape, built on an actual truck chassis shared with the new Ranger... yeah, so far so good.
 
With the new Lincoln Aviator, perhaps the bronco is on that platform?
 
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