Here Comes The 2020 Ford Bronco

Manufacturers across the auto industry love bringing up vehicles from the past. It takes a fan favorite of what was old, redesigns it, and releases it as something new. This is something that has taken place all around the major manufacturers. Chevy discounted the Camaro for several years before pulling it out of retirement. Chrysler decided to dust off its old Jeep Gladiator recently. Even Ford brought back the Thunderbird for a short run in the early 2000s. While all of these vehicles have had followings in the past, there simply is nothing that can compare to the cult following of the Ford Bronco. Around the country, people seek out this collectible vehicle. From the smaller original to the bulked-up Bronco (and the subsequent release of the Bronco II), if you talk with a Bronco owner, they will tell you it can drive circles around Jeep Wranglers. But, for lovers of the model, Ford stopped production back in 1996. And yet despite this 23-year absence, people still crave something new. They want an update. They want to see it back in action. How many other vehicles that have been discontinued for a quarter-century can say that? None that we know of. And here’s the thing: lovers of Ford SUVs are going to love the announcements coming from Ford: the 2020 Bronco will no longer be dreams and artists renditions. It’s actually coming.

Why Did They Pull the Bronco in the First Place?

Bronco lovers take their version of “It’s a Jeep Thing” to an entirely new level with this popular Ford model. So why would a vehicle with such a cult-like following be discontinued? After all, it was loved by more than just a few people. It kind of depends on who you want to believe. According to Ford, the company said it was discontinuing the production of the Ford Bronco to instead focus on the Ford Explorer and the Ford Expedition. The Ford Explorer and Expedition offered larger internal cabins with a four-door design that made it a more desirable SUV for families.

Of course, the other theory, which is fueled more by timing and speculation than any concrete facts, was the publicity Ford received when O.J. Simpson’s white Ford Bronco was shown, for the world to see, driving down the highway being chased by dozens of police cruisers. Two years after the famous video footage (which has been used by several secondary productions, including an episode of “Seinfeld”), Ford had stopped production of the SUV.

While there’s no denying the historical significance of the O.J. Simpson police chase, many SUV drivers of the time were looking for larger options. The Bronco, essentially, was an early crossover vehicle. With a two-door design and fold-down front seat to allow room to the rear seat. The majority of SUV buyers just didn’t want the smaller design. So as vehicle sales declined, Ford decided to pull the plug and focus all of its efforts on the Explorer and Expedition

Return By Popular Demand

Here’s the thing. Ford never had plans to bring the Bronco back. It stopped production back in 1996 and has been perfectly happy with its SUV lineup. It has a vehicle design in just about every crossover and SUV model size, so it has not needed to bring back the Bronco. However, fans have persistently begged for its triumphant return. This started with the original fans of the Bronco, asking why the company would stop production in the first place. Yet as the years ticked by, requests for the SUV continued to grow. Artists started to craft renditions of what they believed a modern Ford Bronco would look like. Then, the whispers of a vehicle in production started to emerge. Rumblings that Ford was tinkering with a new design, yet the years continued to tick by, and nothing concrete came out of Ford.

At least until now.

Ford has officially announced the return of the Ford Bronco in 2020. There are some early photos available, yet the body is shielded with camouflage. And even images made available by Ford showcase basic “Bronco” body coverings over what is likely the frame of the Bronco. But with continued testing taking place, it’s likely only a matter of a few months before the full 2020 Ford Bronco will be revealed in all of its glory.

If you’re looking for a realistic release window, keep your eyes turned to the 2020 Detroit Auto Show, which takes place in early June. We’ll probably see a few more snapshots of undercover Broncos, but the full spreadsheet of stats and the body will likely become available this coming June.

Why Now?

So why did Ford decide to wait until now to bring back the beloved Bronco? After all, it’s been almost 25 years since the company stopped production, and most vehicles that are brought back to life do not have such a long waiting period. The biggest reason was the production line itself.

The last model of the Ford Bronco was built on the F-series production line. It shared several similar design and performance features as other Ford pickups. However, since discontinuation, the Ford F-150 has continued to increase in size, making it too large of a frame to bring back the Bronco realistically. So, before the Bronco could experience a rebirth, the company needed to first bring back the Ford Ranger.

Bringing the Ranger back didn’t prove as much of a challenge, because it had never fully gone away. Ford continued to sell the Ranger throughout Australia, South America, and parts of Asia. It just needed to adapt it to the U.S. market.

Now that Ford has brought back the Ranger, it had the production line for the Bronco, which is exactly why the 2020 Bronco is coming on the heels of the Ranger release. And now, for old fans of the Bronco (and soon-to-be new ones), the 2020 Ford Bronco is only a few months away.

The Return Of The Legend

In what might be the worst kept secret of the automotive industry, the Ford Bronco is finally making its glorious return. It has been a long time coming. Longer than many fans would have liked, but as these fans will tell you, it’s better now than never. Of course, very little is known about the Bronco. No full production photographs are available for the Bronco, and Ford hasn’t said anything else about it other than it will be coming in 2020. If you’re considering the purchase of a new SUV and you’ve been holding off until the new Bronco comes out, there is a good chance it will share similar engine numbers as what is available on the Ford Ranger, but that isn’t a complete guarantee. Thankfully, you won’t need to wait much longer to see what the new Bronco looks like and go over exactly what it can do. One thing we know for certain is that Cincinnati drivers are more than ready for the return of the Ford Bronco.

How long have you been waiting for the new Bronco? Have you been a lifelong fan? Maybe you’ve been bouncing around from old models just to get your fix, from the smaller early years to the Eddie Bauer editions of the 1990s. And however long you’ve been waiting, what are some features you want to see featured?