Ford announces Bronco will be a brand, not just an SUV The SUVs will be joined by off-road experiences, online forums and more
JAMES RISWICK
Jul 6th 2020 autoblog.com
We knew there would be a new Bronco. In fact, we knew it was even going to have a little brother. What we didn't know was that "Bronco" would be its own comprehensive sub-brand.
Obviously, it consists of the vehicles themselves, confirmed to be the 2021 Bronco two-door and four-door, plus the Bronco Sport compact crossover. You can get a taste of those in the teaser image above before they're officially revealed July 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern. However, they will exist on their own island within the Ford sea and satisfy a specific ethos of "Built Wild," a sort of mixture of Ford trucks' "Built Ford Tough" and Jeep's Trail Rated designation.
Unlike Ford's current crossovers and SUVs, the "Built Wild" Broncos will have undergone elevated torture tests in the lab, proving ground and real world; come standard with four-wheel drive and a terrain management system; and have the "confidence to go over any type of terrain." Each will also share a common design language separate from other Fords and offer more opportunities for personalization.
Now, to clarify, they will officially be called the "Ford Bronco" and "Ford Bronco Sport," but there will be a Bronco emblem on the front rather than a Blue Oval. Think Mustang rather than Lincoln. Or, within the off-roader realm, a Land Rover Range Rover rather than a Jeep or Ram.
In total, Ford seems to have borrowed a little from Jeep, a little from Land Rover and a little from itself to create something that's new, distinctive and reasonably authentic. Of course, we still need to see that actual Bronco trio to really know how successful it is, but at least we only have a week now to wait.
Seems like more confirmation of what we always suspected, but done in such a way as to make it their own experience and identity. Kudos to them for taking that risk.
Brand v. "Sub-Brand" designations aside, there are some obvious lessons to extrapolate from here in the larger (and long-term) handling of GMC/Denali, GMC/Hummer, the Corvette, etc. Having a "brand within a brand" is nothing new. But nurturing it to its full potential can mean the real difference between outright successes like "Prius" within Toyota or "Ranger Rover" within Land Rover --- versus "Geo" within Chevrolet, "Opel" within Buick [during the 1970s] or "Merkur" within Mercury [during the late 1980s], etc.
Let's hope someone at GM is watching and taking notes.
Finally a direct Jeep competitor. I think these are going to be big hits and made in Michigan. GM misses a huge opportunity not building something like this under GMC.
The combined reveal is great, launching an entire sub-brand gives them a chance to really clarify what it means to share the name on several classes of products. I noticed however that the Sport is getting a bunch of hate in that profile shot because it contrasts so notably against the Bronco Prime. They will sell a ton regardless, especially when they see it.
If all the Broncos are hits, it could popularize the traditional SUV form now that the Crossover SUV is the standard vehicle design.
Very telling is that Jim Farley even said that "Today's uninspired SUV landscape needs Bronco's ingenuity".
Hopefully we'll eventually see a full-size Bronco based on the F-150/Raptor, although there is no reason to believe they are working on any other models with the name right now. The Maverick pickup is probably going to stay "Maverick".
I do appreciate the broader view of Ford's lineup moving forward with mostly strong iconic brands on every vehicle, nothing anonymous or ephemeral. Bronco, Mustang, F-150, Explorer, SuperDuty, Transit, Ranger, Escape, Expedition. EcoSport and Edge are probably the only brands that could use some sprucing up or successors. Maverick pickup will be another big one since it ushers in a new category which should cement it pretty quickly.
Hopefully we'll eventually see a full-size Bronco based on the F-150/Raptor, although there is no reason to believe they are working on any other models with the name right now. The Maverick pickup is probably going to stay "Maverick".
Maybe there some chances then "Maverick" could also be named Courier. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_Courier Unless the Maverick name could be use as a trim package like how Chevrolet once used Custon Deluxe, Cheyenne, Scottsdale, Silverado or Biscayne/BelAir/Impala/Caprice or Ford used once Custom/Fairlane (1955-61 as a full-size)/Galaxie/LTD.
I don’t recall GM ever saying that corvette will become a brand or not. So it seems your statement is based on speculation and nothing more. How about letting this thread be about bronco
It's the same with me. The anticipation is getting to me. I probably won't be able to afford one at this point, but just the fact that they're doing the Bronco as they are is special.
"The Countdown Is On.
Join us for the debut of the all-new Bronco and Bronco Sport.
Tune in July 13 at 8:00 pm EDT to ABC, ESPN or National Geographic, and reserve your Bronco at Ford.com/Bronco."
.This copy and paste from an email I got this AM from Ford.
I disagree, if done right they could have maintained the front engine car as the traditional base Vette, added the ultra performance mide engine Vette at the top of the line and filled in with small and midsize performance crossover. There is a big pile of money to be made with a Corvette sub-brand and if not for their lazer focus on electric right now I'd say they're fools for not persuing it.
Porsche is a Brand, always has been just has more models, the 911, panamera, Cayan are models, in this casue it would be 911 as a sub brand with all the others under that. Corvette is a model not a brand, leave it be, if they want too Take the SS line, make that a brand put all performance oriented models under that.
I don't like when companies do this, such as when Ram split from Dodge, the only reason to do this is if your brand is tainted in some way.
OK, it's a good idea.
I don't like when companies do this, such as when Ram split from Dodge, the only reason to do this is if your brand is tainted in some way.
OK, it's a good idea.
Its great Hummer is coming in under the GMC brand, they do not have to build a whole new distro chain, saves money, plus GMC retailers already know how to deal with rich Denali Yukon XL folks
Seriously, I like the idea. This sounds like a marketing win that will roll into nice profits. Best thing I've heard out of Ford since Hackett took over.
Agreed, the Mustang is a far better car today because the Camaro came back than it would have been had it remained without competition! It'll be interesting to see what FCA does to keep the Wrangler at the top of the sales charts!
Ah, guys, don't you think 'Hummer' is going to be a brand as well? And unless I miss my guess, what's coming for Hummer will very likely make both Bronco and Jeep yesterday's news.
Wouldn't be at all surprised if Hummer was the inspiration for Ford to develop Bronco into it's own brand.
With Escape being similar prices to Cherokee, it's obvious that Bronco Sport will start $2k-$3k higher and closer to Wrangler.
I'm predicting some serious sticker shock with the Bronco Sport, You watch Ford go to work pricing the thing sky high and
counting on the name making it a winner at any cost. Mind you, I think Jeep does a good job of rape and pillage....
The Love of the square Escape proves that. 2008-2012's had a Strong following, that were reluctant to move to the Tapered 2013-2019 Escape. Even more were lost with the 2020 Redo.
There is still something lurking in the Escape Line. The fact that Ford jammed 2 months of Orders into 1 week. Pre Covid that still happened after Covid Plant closures. We had 20 Orders Schedule in 1 week. We would usually have 2-4 a week.
Ford is going Big on this Bronco. Internet Order/Builds, are going to be open on the 13th. $100 deposit to Save your build slot, starting in December.
Troller is a subsidiary owned by Ford. The vehicle was never developed by Ford at all, but Troller does use the T6 frame. It's not a Ford product and certainly wouldn't be up to snuff for a Bronco.
Bronco Sport is more expensive and less economical, favoring style and utility over efficiency and road manners. A huge selling point for Escape is the nearly standard Hybrid which delivers incredible economy in a refined package. It's a shame Ford cancelled all the Bronco hybrids, but I suspect nobody is really asking for that and will let Escape fill that roll. Escape is also more car-like, filling the shoes of the sedan lineup very effectively both in economy, style, and performance. So there is very much room for Escape right now, especially as Fusion exits.
Ford cut a shift from the Escape/Corsair plant when the new model came online and moved the workers to the Expedition/Navigator plant while making the Escape more expensive to purchase (less incentives or good lease rates). They want to sell fewer of them because the segment is getting too commoditized and inexpensive. Enter Bronco Sport which will shift more C-Segment volume to people wiling to spend more for something with more features and personality.
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Related Threads
?
?
?
?
?
GM Inside News Forum
3.5M posts
83.7K members
Since 2003
A forum community dedicated to GM owners and enthusiasts. Come join the discussion about General Motors news, concepts, releases, classifieds, troubleshooting, maintenance, and more!