Ford Wants to Make the Bronco a Pickup Truck, Too

Ford is definitely jealous of Jeep’s success, but it’s not taking things lying down. We already know the Blue Oval is about to launch a new Bronco with removable doors and roof, directly rivaling the Wrangler. Now it sounds like the plan is to also take on the Gladiator by creating a Bronco pickup truck.

Yes, it’s true that Ford just launched the new Ranger, so why isn’t that good enough? Well, you can’t pop the doors and roof off the Ranger, that’s why. And let’s face it, that and the retro styling is the majority of the appeal for the Jeep Gladiator.

It will be a while before Ford can take on the Gladiator. This rumored future Bronco pickup won’t launch for five years, or July of 2024. That’s pretty far out, so what’s the big hang-up?

Well, there’s the issue of a crowded truck lineup within Ford. The Bronco pickup would step on some toes, namely the Ranger Raptor and upcoming Courier, which will be a unibody using the same platform as the Focus. While that might be the case, some analysts think we could see the Bronco truck in 2022, and that’s a little more reasonable.

You could draw a parallel between this upcoming Bronco pickup and the Ford Explorer SportTrac. If it’s anything like that, expect a tiny bed, which helps with the problematic breakover angle issues the Gladiator faces, but drops utility when it comes to hauling gear.

Source: Automobile Magazine