Although some reports claim that the camouflage hides Blue Oval’s all-new unibody pickup truck, that’s not the truth. Instead of the rumored Courier compact, the heavy wrapping hides something much more interesting. It’s a long-time speculated and awaited 2021 Ford Bronco. To be more precise, this one would be a short-wheelbase two-door version. The off-roader finally went out for a test ride, which means that the actual date of arrival can’t be too far away.
Truth to be told, the camouflage rather hides some testing mule than the pre-production prototype. However, there’s no chance that this is the Courier for many reasons. For instance, the vehicle shows the presence of the frame. Bearing in mind that the rumored unibody pickup is going to ride on the automaker’s car-based C2 platform, the presence of frame would be impossible. Also, the model gets the high ride, aggressive off-road tires, and even a trailer hitch, so it has to be the iconic Bronco. Even though the last year’s teaser shot hinted the retro shape, the actual model won’t be as rough and blocky as the mule suggests. Instead, the 2021 Bronco will largely resemble the Ranger. So far, however, we can recognize just the Ranger-based grille and nothing else.
Ford’s forthcoming Bronco will use a completely new chassis. Most of the reports suggest that the SUV is going to exploit the familiar T6 architecture that currently supports the mid-size Ford Everest and the amazing Troller off-road SUV that’s available in Brazil, but this is not going to happen at all. Instead, the 2021 Ford Bronco will use Ranger’s next body-on-frame architecture. Meaning, the mule of the off-road SUV is not only checking its powertrains and tech, but also the pickup truck’s future underpinnings.
There are no official words regarding the SUV’s powertrain options. However, unofficially, the 2021 Bronco is going to get the brand’s all-new V6 engine. Plus, the latest rumors persist on some kind of hybrid as well, which is very possible. In addition to a highly possible electric motor that could be the ideal solution for camping, the nameplate will most definitely use the four-wheel-drive system as standard. Some reports hinted a possibility of the Bronco Diesel too, but we have nothing official so far.
The off-road SUV will be produced together with the Ranger at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan. The new Bronco will arrive sometime in 2020. However, before that happens, the automaker will introduce a smaller sibling that’s known as the baby Bronco at the moment.
