Detroit - It is a well-known fact that Ford is reincarnating the Bronco nameplate with a boxy SUV intended to take on the Jeep Wrangler, but now rumours have emerged that Ford is also going to offer a bakkie version.
Citing at least two sources,
reports that development work is underway on the new pick-up, which will be offered exclusively as a double cab, and with rugged styling and features that will put it into contention with Jeep’s Wrangler-based
bakkie.
The Bronco SUV is set to go on sale Stateside in 2020, sharing its platform with the next-generation Ranger, meaning the Bronco bakkie will be a close relative of Ford’s mid-sized pick-up, but it will no doubt be set apart by its rugged looks and a few other distinguishing features inherited from its SUV sibling.
Like the Wrangler, the Bronco will have a hard top roof and doors that are all removable,
reports, and unlike its rival, it will offer an onboard stowing space for these items.
The Bronco was a popular three-door SUV sold between the 1960s and 1990s, its most famous moment being the OJ Simpson car chase of 1994.
In line with the times the new model is expected to be offered in both three-door and five-door body options when it hits the scene next year.
The bakkie version will take a bit longer to appear, however, with sources indicating a launch date somewhere between 2022 and 2024.
Will it come to South Africa though? That would largely depend on whether Ford feels it’s worth investing in a right-hand-drive version for the handful of countries that drive on the left, but with the Bronco being related to the Ranger, that might not be a very complicated conversion to make.