Ford Bronco Launch tonight

[SeaDawg]

Since we're in the retro mode today, I thought I would share the launch of the new Ford Bronco, tonight, 8 pm est, on ABC, ESPN, and National Geographic.  (See below.)

Probably not going to be a tow vehicle for many of us, but maybe those few of us with the Elites, at least on flat land. It's built on the new Ford Ranger, after all, not the f150. 

I had a Bronco II as my fun car for a number of years. Looking forward to seeing the new iterations. 

Sherry

[Mike and Carol]

I’ve been following the “hype” on the new Bronco. Sound like Ford wants to make it a serious competitor to Jeep.  I’ll probably never own one, but I like new vehicle debuts.  I owned a couple of Rangers and a couple of Tacomas, it’s a nice size (except for towing).  It will be nice to have a new off road option.  Mike

[SeaDawg]

It has been a lot of hype. And I've been following some of it, because I loved that little red Bronco. 

I doubt I'll be tempted to put down a deposit tonight, though. But I  do have an alarm set to watch the launch on youtube.

 

[Landrover]

They need to bring back the 3500 Chevy suburban then I’d be happy or one of those 3500 Chevy Tahoes that  the secret service drive😳

[Overland]

The spy pics I’ve seen look pretty nice. I hope they come up with some innovative differences to the Wrangler - it will be nice for both Jeep and Ford fans to have competition in that market. There’s rumors of a raptor version of the Bronco, too, which would be cool. 

[SeaDawg]

22 minutes ago, Overland said:

The spy pics I’ve seen look pretty nice. I hope they come up with some innovative differences to the Wrangler - it will be nice for both Jeep and Ford fans to have competition in that market. There’s rumors of a raptor version of the Bronco, too, which would be cool. 

The raptor version will be very cool.

[SeaDawg]

The towing specs are TBD. Which is disappointing,  to see on the night of the launch.

Granted, I  never towed anything but my little sailboats (Sunfish and Aquacat) behind my bronco ii,  but I would think the new Bronco should be able to at least tow my Elite I? We towed ours on a test with an FJ, for heaven sake. 

Edited July 14, 2020 by SeaDawg

[Overland]

Have to say, it looks pretty cool -

 

[SeaDawg]

5 minutes ago, Overland said:

Have to say, it looks pretty cool -

 

I agree.

Enough, that I  actually did try to put a deposit down.  But, I couldn't.  Blacked out in my zip.

I loved my little Bronco 2. Sold it when our daughter was coming up to driving age. That bronco 2 vehicle was not safe for a new driver, imo. As much as I  wanted her to learn to drive a manual trans, I didn't want it to be on that vehicle,  that lifted on corners in rain, on city streets at city speeds. 

My 88 2 had a really short wheel base, high ride, and I was worried about an inexperienced young driver,  even at city speeds.

Just call me mom.

Now, I  wish I had kept it and, "lost" the key  .

So, we bought an Explorer,  and that was her learning car. Boring, but much safer. 

Sherry 

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by SeaDawg

[Mike and Carol]

10 hours ago, Overland said:

Have to say, it looks pretty cool -

 

 I like it.  

[Trainman]

 I'm a Jeep Wrangler guy and don't look to change. I don't see Jeep Wrangler buyers switching to the new Bronco, but I do feel there will be a market for the time being. It could be like the Toyota FJ Cruiser, didn't sell too well when new, but the used market is very high priced and very popular. 

trainman

[Overland]

The biggest point of departure between the two is obviously the independent front suspension.  For someone like me, I'd never need the extra front suspension travel of the Jeep, and would prefer the highway stability and comfort of the independent suspension.  But I can see how that would be a sticking point for others.  The Bronco doesn't look to be a slouch in the flex department though.  

But factory 35's, better clearances all around, stronger engines, better transmission choices (crazy crawl ratio on the manual), nicer interior and electronics - these are real advantages that I think will drive sales, even with the 'true' hard core offroad market.  Even little things like having a USB port in the dash are nice, useful touches.  They've really thought this through.  

I'm curious to see the 200+ accessories they say they have lined up.  One thing I'm hoping for is an intercooler relocation kit that would also work with the F150.

We looked at a Jeep, maybe five years back, and my wife nixed the idea since she thought it felt claustrophobic.  So if the Bronco has a bigger feeling interior, then that would be a big win for us.  

 

[John E Davies]

59 minutes ago, Overland said:

The biggest point of departure between the two is obviously the independent front suspension.  For someone like me, I'd never need the extra front suspension travel of the Jeep, and would prefer the highway stability and comfort of the independent suspension.  But I can see how that would be a sticking point for others.  The Bronco doesn't look to be a slouch in the flex department though.  

An IFS system done right is highly capable, the key is the disconnecting swaybar. A solid bar keeps the dropped wheel hanging in the air. The Land Cruiser 200 and some body on frame Toyota/ Lexus models with KDSS are highly competent. It is currently standard equipment on the 200 and a highly valuable (but rare) option on the others. I think Ford probably understands this and did a proper engineering job on the Bronco’s auto-disconnect front bar. I would be interested to see a ramp test.

https://www.autoblog.com/2020/06/25/toyota-suv-suspension-flex-test-comparison/

OTH I really dislike most of the Bronco design so I think I would pass on this trucklet. Like the FJ Cruiser, there is really very little that appeals to me. But they should sell like hotcakes for a few years until the market is saturated. After that, who knows? Remember the PT Cruiser, HHR, new T-Bird? They faded out pretty fast after the initial buying frenzy.... i think any “retro” design is a really big gamble for any company. Jeep finally released their highly anticipated Gladiator pickup and pretty much botched it. Not counting dealer discounts their average price is $60k!

https://www.motorbiscuit.com/the-jeep-gladiators-sales-numbers-are-failing-miserably/

The Bronco starts at under $30k ....Ka- ching! Money in the register for Ford.
 

.John Davies

Spokane WA

 

Edited July 14, 2020 by John E Davies

[Overland]

I don't disagree, but I think Ford could easily soften the retro look with a refresh down the road.  The overall form of the Bronco is remarkably Landroverish, and it's really only a few details like the grill, headlights and a few body creases that make the Bronco look retro.

Actually, I thought the crease down the side was reminiscent of 60 series Land Cruisers.

Edited July 14, 2020 by Overland

[Norman]

I like the design and that it provides great off-road capability direct from the manufacturer without requiring aftermarket modifications to the body and suspension and that Ford allows that capability to be added to even the base model.  To my eye, it looks a lot closer to the original Bronco than to any Land Rover.  I am disappointed that even after the long delay for the unveiling, Ford still hasn’t published important specifications, including something as basic as the capacity of the gas tank, Ford doesn’t show more details of the rear seats and rear storage areas, including how the rear seats fold flat and if the seats are easily removed, and Ford won’t be shipping Broncos until sometime in the Spring of next year.    The base towing capability of 3500 is also a disappointment, but I can hope that, when they get around to publishing a number for their tow package, it will be much higher.  

Edited July 14, 2020 by Norman

[Patriot]

Another article on the “first addition sold out” bronco, looks to be a money maker taker for Ford until previously mentioned market saturation. No interest in one here, but a good read.

https://www.cnet.com/roadshow/news/2021-ford-bronco-price-2-door-4-door/

Edited July 14, 2020 by Patriot

[SeaDawg]

8 hours ago, Overland said:

 The overall form of the Bronco is remarkably Landroverish, and it's really only a few details like the grill, headlights and a few body creases that make the Bronco look retro.

That's pretty much what I  said to Paul last night.

I like the look, though. And maybe they'll pull some folks from the land rover market, which has given up some of the boxy lines that many loved.  

 

[BackofBeyond]

On 7/13/2020 at 9:31 PM, SeaDawg said:

 

Enough, that I  actually did try to put a deposit down.  But, I couldn't.  Blacked out in my zip.

 

 

I'm gonna relocate by golly - the Bronco is just the bomb. 

Well not really - I don't even understand the hype - but hey, I usually don't....

 

[Overland]

Yeah, there's definitely some hype with all of these reveals.

But in general, I think there's enough new stuff in the truck & offroad world right now for everyone to get excited about something - Bronco, Defender, new F150, Cybertruck, Rivian, etc.  Even if you aren't in the market for something new, they're still fun to talk about.

[Mike and Carol]

Yep, I’m not in the market but it is still fun to watch and learn about new features.  Ford doesn’t seem to be treating this as just another model but instead a lifestyle vehicle (not so much with the Sport).  It’s interesting to see what you can get from the factory and the long list of add-ons.  It would be good to see some more tech specs and capacities.

[Trainman]

I saw this on MSN, this vehicle is neither a plus, or a minus with me, I'm a Jeep Wrangler guy.  https://www.msn.com/en-us/autos/news/is-the-2021-ford-bronco-too-late-to-the-game/ar-BB16RNuO?li=BBnb4R5  The pic just says, Wrangler, did you watch the show for the Jeep, or Dixie.

trainman 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Trainman

[Overland]

Here's a really good interview with the designer of the Bronco.  As a designer myself, I ordinarily can't stand to listen to other designers because the BS factor is so obvious.  This is especially so with automotive designers since cars are generally 'styled' from the outside in, around a platform that was dictated by engineers, and listening to the designers try to obfuscate that fact with incoherent language just makes me cringe.  But this guy I like.  He's down to earth, talks in language that is clear and concise, and is obviously someone who approaches design from a functional standpoint first.  

Anyway, interviews are always dry, but even if you aren't into design talk, he reveals some cool tidbits about the truck that are worth the time to watch.

 

[Mike and Carol]

Good interview.  I think they’ve done a good job with the new Bronco.  Not all retro’s work well or last long.  The new MINI Cooper has been fairly successful since it came out in 2002.  I owned a 2002 and a 2006.  The second gen that came out in 2007 started the growing in size trend, but it’s stayed fairly true to its “mini” name.  Both the Mazda Miata/MX5 and the Porsche 911 have stayed fairly consistent with their original forms, just updated over the years.  The original Bronco steadily grew bigger over the years.  My hope is the new Bronco will stay consistent like the Wrangler has.  Mike

My 2002 Cooper S.

My 2006 Cooper S.

Edited July 20, 2020 by Mike and Carol

[SeaDawg]

Thanks. That was interesting and fun to watch. Very down to earth. Love how one of Paul Wraith's favorite features is the Bronco bolts, and his explanation of "why ."

The more I  see, the more I like it.

On a more humorous note, this is not his first rodeo on updating a timeless classic. Here's his 2008 redesign of Santa's sleigh, for a Car magazine feature. 😆

Merry Christmas in July

https://www.carmagazine.co.uk/car-news/first-official-pictures/ford/ford-designed-santas-sleigh/

[Mainiac]

I noticed that the Bronco has Wrangler tires. Part 'Envy' of the Jeep? Also it comes with tow books on the front, easy to get on to the wrecker? The designers thought it through...