New Ford Bronco Models Won't Come To Right-Hand Drive Markets

HotCars

By Mark Lugris

Published Dec 29, 2018

The Ford Bronco is coming, just not to right-hand markets, according to reports.

Via Auto Krafters

Australians will have to wait to drive the new Ford Bronco models, which may debut as early as next year, though the new full-sized Bronco won’t be available until 2020. Reports say that Ford won't export the Bronco models outside of North America, and according to Ford Australia CEO Kay Hart, the company is not planning on releasing any new right-hand drive models at the moment, adding that there were no announcements forthcoming.

One reason Ford is holding off on new right-hand drive models is that the company is content with the sales performance of the Ranger, which has seen a 1.3 percent decrease in sales down under. According to Motor1, the Ranger is doing very well in Australia, though Hart left open the possibility that there could be new additions in the future.

The new Bronco will be available in just a few markets and will have more than 325 horsepower. The Baby Bronco, a compact SUV, which may soon be known as the Puma, could share its platform with the new Escape. The new models will be produced at the Wayne, Michigan Assembly Plant, which manufactured five generations of Broncos between 1966 and 1996 with several early prototypes produced in Australia, where Broncos were assembled with 4.1-litre straight-six and 5.8-liter V8 engines between 1981 and 1987.

“We’ve heard our customers loud and clear. They want a new generation of vehicles that are incredibly capable yet fun to drive,” said Joe Hinrichs, Ford’s president of The Americas. “Bronco will be a no-compromise midsize 4x4 utility for thrill seekers who want to venture way beyond the city. The rugged new Bronco will be a midsize SUV and will be part of the global Ford vehicle portfolio in 2020.”

The original Ford Bronco was manufactured by Ford from 1965 to 1996. The first generation of the Bronco competed against compact SUVs, such as the Jeep CJ-5 and International Harvester Scout, while the next four generations of the Bronco have been full-size SUVs that were intended to compete with the Chevrolet K5 Blazer and Dodge Ramcharger. Last year, Ford announced the reinstatement of the Ford Bronco as a mid-size SUV, based on the Ford Ranger, in 2020 with manufacturing returning to Michigan Assembly.

Hart suggested that other Ford SUV models could soon be available in Australia, including the new 2020 Explore since not all vehicles are right-hand drive. Australia has a large SUV market, which means new models are always enticing, she added.