We now know what engine the Ford Bronco will have thanks to a Canadian online leak.
To be honest, the leak is really not all that surprising. We know the Ford Bronco will be based on the same platform as the Ranger midsize pickup, especially considering all that Bronco test mules we see driving around looking like a chopped-in-half Ranger. It only makes sense that the two would share a powertrain.
Yes, an online leak from Canada, of all places, tells us that the Bronco will share the same 2.3-L EcoBoost turbo 4-cylinder engine as the Ford Ranger. It also lives inside the base model EcoBoost Mustang as well as the new Explorer SUV. It makes anywhere from 270 to 300 horsepower, depending on which vehicle it’s in.
The news comes from an unusual source. It seems to have first been noted by Matthew the Car Guy on Twitter who stumbled across an interesting listing while out shopping for spark plugs. In the store’s spark plug database is an entry for the Ford Bronco, listed as a 2021 model, and also the line “4-140, 2.3L DOHC.”
“140” stands for 140 cubic inches or 2.3 liters.
That store happens to be a Canadian Tire, which is sort of like a combination of a Walmart and an Autozone, as Off-Road.com puts it. Household cleaning solvents stored so close to walls upon walls of fresh tires gives each franchise location a unique odor that every Canadian can identify from birth.
Canadian Tire also lists the Bronco online, so this isn’t just limited to their in-store database. So far, no other retail chain seems to have the Bronco anywhere listed publicly.
When asked for comment by Jalopnik, Ford declined to provide one. When Canadian Tire was asked for comment, a spokesperson responded: “Sorry! Our bad, eh?” And then went back to eating poutine.
With the cat out of the bag, perhaps we’ll actually get a statement from Ford in the coming weeks. Hopefully, they’ll let us know if more than one engine option is coming.