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Ford is known to be bringing a member of its increasing Bronco household to Australia, nevertheless it’s not the one you may assume.
The Ford Bronco New Energy is the most recent member of the Bronco sub-brand, having entered manufacturing this month in China the place it’s manufactured by the JMC-Ford three way partnership. This unibody SUV is obtainable as both an electrical automobile (EV) or extended-range electrical automobile (EREV).
It follows the body-on-frame Bronco off-roader and mid-size petrol-powered Bronco Sport crossover SUV, each of which have already been in manufacturing for not less than 4 years.
While these fashions have continued to be dominated out for our market because of sturdy US demand and a scarcity of right-hand drive manufacturing, the Bronco New Energy is shaping up as the primary Bronco-badged mannequin in Australia because the Nineteen Eighties.
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Wheelsboy stories the Bronco New Energy is headed to markets together with Australia, Southeast Asia, South America and the Middle East, although it reportedly received’t go to the US (which already will get the Bronco and Bronco Sport) or Europe (which will get the Bronco and is reportedly getting its personal Bronco-badged mid-size SUV).
Ford Australia wouldn’t affirm the accuracy of this report.
“The Bronco New Energy is an exciting addition to the global Ford line-up, adding a new energy drivetrain to one of the world’s most iconic nameplates,” stated a Ford Australia spokesperson.
“Ford Australia is always evaluating options to expand our line-up for customers, but we have no news to share about future products at this time.”
However, CarExpert understands it’ll come right here, and might be joined by different Chinese-built Fords.
The Bronco New Energy is a big unibody SUV, in contrast to the ladder-frame primarily based Bronco that shares its Australian-developed T6 structure with the Ranger ute and Everest giant SUV.
The largest Bronco but, it measures 5025mm lengthy, 1960mm large and 1825mm tall on a 2950mm wheelbase. That makes it 101mm longer, as much as 37mm wider however 45-55mm decrease than the Everest, on a 50mm longer wheelbase, however regardless of its larger dimensions it seats solely 5.
Ground clearance is between 215mm and 220mm, with a wading depth of 600mm. Available off-road gear, relying on the variant, consists of locking entrance and rear differentials, a number of terrain modes, and an off-road crawl mode.
Kerb weight is as excessive as 2630kg, with the massive SUV using on double-wishbone entrance and five-link rear suspension.
Electric variants have an enormous 105.4kWh battery, whereas extended-range variations use a smaller 43.7kWh battery plus a turbocharged 1.5-litre four-cylinder petrol engine that tops it up.
Total outputs are 332kW and 575Nm within the EVs, with 650km of electrical vary on the CLTC cycle, and 310kW/600Nm within the EREVs, which have 220km of electrical vary.
Inside, there’s an 8.8-inch digital instrument cluster and a 15.6-inch touchscreen infotainment system.
Available luxurious options embrace an augmented actuality head-up show, 7.5L fridge, 21-speaker sound system, a panoramic sunroof, and power-adjustable entrance seats with heating, air flow and therapeutic massage. A pop-top roof is even accessible.
There’s a full suite of energetic security and driver help know-how, powered by a mix of radar, sensors, and a LiDAR unit.
Ford maintains two joint ventures in China: one with Jiangling Motors, the opposite with Changan.
The JMC-Ford three way partnership produces not solely the Bronco New Energy but in addition the mid-size Equator Sport SUV and enormous Equator.
The Equator Sport is already exported to at least one right-hand drive market, South Africa, the place it’s known as the Territory.
In South Africa, the place it was launched in 2024 in pre-facelift guise, the one engine accessible is a 138kW/318Nm turbocharged 1.8-litre petrol 4 mated with a seven-speed dual-clutch auto, making it good for claimed gas consumption of seven.0L/100km on the NEDC cycle.
In China, nevertheless, a facelift has introduced a front-wheel drive plug-in hybrid powertrain that mates a 160kW/315Nm electrical motor with a 110kW/240Nm 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine and an 18.4kWh lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery. Claimed electrical vary is 95km on the WLTC cycle.
Sized equally to the Escape, the Equator Sport options MacPherson strut entrance and multi-link rear suspension, and is obtainable completely with front-wheel drive.
It’s unclear if the Changan Ford three way partnership will even manufacture right-hook Fords.
Changan Ford produces fashions just like the mid-size Mondeo and Mondeo Sport passenger vehicles and the massive Edge L and Explorer SUVs, amongst different fashions, and exports left-hand drive autos to markets together with the Middle East.
Changan additionally has a three way partnership with Mazda, which is able to provide our market with the mid-size Mazda 6e liftback subsequent 12 months; the Chinese big additionally owns the Deepal model.
Either the Edge L or Explorer would give Ford Australia a direct rival to the Toyota Kluger, one thing it hasn’t had because the Territory ended manufacturing in 2016.
Ford Australia has gaping holes in its SUV lineup, having axed the Puma mild SUV in 2024 and Escape medium SUV in 2023. This adopted the demise of the Canadian-built Endura giant SUV in 2020.
It’s understood Ford had continued to wrestle with provide of autos out of Europe, together with the Puma and Escape, whereas prices like freight undoubtedly eroded its skill to promote European-built autos right here profitably.
In December 2024, Ford cancelled plans to convey the electrical Puma Gen-E right here, citing “economic trends, material costs, consumer incentives and global supply chain” as elements that affect “whether a vehicle’s business case stacks up”.
In brief, Ford possible wouldn’t have been in a position to promote the Puma Gen-E at a aggressive sufficient value in part of the market stuffed with cut-price Chinese choices.
The axings and cancellations have left Ford Australia with simply two SUVs: the mid-size electrical Mustang Mach-E produced in Mexico, and the Everest giant off-road SUV constructed alongside the Ranger in Thailand.
Should Ford launch fashions just like the Bronco New Energy and Equator Sport right here, it could be simply the most recent non-Chinese model to promote a Chinese-built automobile Down Under.
In addition to fashions just like the Kia EV5 and upcoming Mazda 6e, Nissan Australia can also be planning to launch the Frontier Pro plug-in hybrid dual-cab ute developed with its Dongfeng three way partnership, whereas Hyundai Australia has locked within the Elexio electrical SUV developed for China.
MORE: Explore the Ford showroom
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