It’s been a rough go for Ford Bronco fans. Just when they thought they’d get to feast their eyes on a real, physical, reborn Bronco, the pandemic arrived and pushed everything back. No glitzy premiere at the now nonexistent Detroit auto show, just tears.
The returning model’s debut is now set for sometime in July, likely early in the month, but photos of a manual-transmission model leaked to the web are better than nothing.
A source sent revealing photos of a pre-production Bronco’s cabin, engine bay, and underbody to The Fast Lane Car this week, providing us with a glimpse of the entry-level model’s seven-speed manual shifter. In this case, the seventh gear is something you’re not likely to use in day-to-day driving. A crawler gear positioned below first, it will provide the low gearing you’ll need to navigate exceptionally rough off-road sojourns.
Buttons on the dash reveal locking front and rear differentials, as well as a sway bar disconnect, to aid in those future adventures; they’re also necessary to position the new Bronco as a true rival to the Jeep Wrangler — a model that’s had the market mostly to itself for an eternity.
Beneath the hood of this stick-shift SUV lies a 2.3-liter Ecoboost four-cylinder, good (in other applications) for 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. A source told us that the seven-speed manual would only be an option on the base 2.3L model; uplevel Broncos make do with a 2.7-liter Ecoboost V6 and a standard 10-speed automatic. That same tranny can be had with the four-banger.
Elsewhere, the Bronco sports springs of seemingly endless height and shocks outfitted with external reservoirs — just what you’d expect to find in an SUV that’s not faking it.
Offered with two or four removable doors and a roof that needn’t stay in place, the Bronco won’t go on sale late this year as originally planned. Thanks to the pandemic, buyers should be able to get their hands on one early in 2021.
[Image: fullsizebronco.com]
I like that shift pattern. I’m warming up to the Bronco.
Same designer.
Bronco. Land Rover Defender.
And that aint a good thing.
It is to me :)
I’m liking what I’m seeing so far.
The manual only being available with a 4 cylinder shows how little they understand their buyers.
This isn’t the 80s where a stick shift is chosen to save money vs an auto by someone who doesn’t really care what type of transmission they have. People who want manuals don’t want stripper vehicles. Those few who still buy them specifically seek them out. Those aren’t the type of buyers who will be satisfied by the base engine.
The manual only being available with the top engine shows how they do understand their buyer.
The 2.3 Turbo 4 with 270HP and 310 lb-ft is above the 2.7 Twin Turbo V6 with 325 HP and 400 LB-FT? Interesting marketing there for sure.
Offering a stick at all in this day seems surprising to me. Based on what I’ve seen on the rubicon the take rate is really low for the manual and much higher on the sports (and by higher, I mean I’ve seen at least 1 with a manual). So anecdotally I’d guess Ford may be on to something with where they’ve spec’d the manual.
Must everything be about turning a profit? It’s safe to assume all automakers take a loss on manuals. Although lots may be recovered from less warranty claims.
The whole Corvette is likely a loss leader. So of course no manual.
Buyers are likely lured-in by manual offerings, then at the last minute chicken out, come to their senses and get the automatic, spending more in the process and or higher trim.
“Must everything be about turning a profit?” -well yes, kind of. Unless your shareholders are in on the joke. And I don’t think Ford is in a position to tool up and program an option that I bet would be purchased by less than 2000 people.
And manual utility vehicles usually are all about people who value simplicity. They’re typically geared to be objectively worse on road. In the Ford- both engines are turbo-gas so the manual really is just a statement. So again, not sure why they have a manual at all.
Where better to make a statement, than a truck that makes a statement?
Every 4-cylinder should have a manual option. Yeah I know it’s “turbo”, but no one’s thrilled about the Ranger’s power supply.
For me it’s a matter of not going insane from shear boredom.
But shareholders should be glad no vehicles “turn a profit” until somewhere in the model or platform’s life-cycle, hopefully in months, but it takes years a lot of times (or not at all).
They’re not shareholders of a particular model (or trim level, or specific options), just the overall take, and have to trust the automaker is mostly working in their favor.
Do you prefer no manual at all?
Just another poster that doesn’t plan to buy one anyways because they want somebody else to take the depreciation. You want a high trim Bronco with big engine and a manual, that’ll be $60k. Oops, that’s so expensive. Stupid Ford should have offered it on the base trim so I can mod it myself.
LOL I’ve spent $200K+ on new vehicles since 2015, $150K of that on brand new manual vehicles. Don’t confuse me with some Jalopnik poster who waits to buy everything used.
I’m not interested in a 4 cylinder. I’m not interested in an automatic. Jeep already offers what I want to buy, if Ford doesn’t, then I won’t buy one. It’s just as simple as that.
Jeep has what you want to buy, even though you totally just ripped on base engines. The 6MT is only attached to the base Wrangler engine which is objectively worse than this 4 banger.
You even admitted that only a few buyers actually want it and may pony up for it, so why would Ford drop all that money just to lose money and satisfy a bunch of YouTube reviewers? Since you are so rich and love flexing your car buying prowess, crooked Hennessey or AEV will happily take a Bronco and plop in any oversized engine and mate it to a manual. I mean, might cost you like $100k but you can afford it right?
$150k in 5 years, so you bought a bunch of cars, got bored, and traded them in. Great job! Keep stimulating that economy!
I don’t flex unless I’m called out.
You speculated I was someone who waits to buy cars used. Objectively false. As long as we are discussing how you’re wrong, I haven’t gotten bored and haven’t traded in any of those cars either.
You think the 3.6 is worse than the 2.0T in the Wrangler. I disagree. “Objectively worse” is nonsense.
Jeep does have what I want. A 6 cylinder with a manual. F— me for waiting to see if Ford makes a better package right? Has nothing to do with being a “Youtube reviewer”, has everything to do with being willing to pay good money for the vehicle I want to buy. I’m not alone either.
“Just another poster that doesn’t plan to buy one anyways because they want somebody else to take the depreciation.”
This is a ridiculous line. Find anyone on TTAC that follows this tired meme.
I don’t buy used unless it’s some 90’s itch I’m looking to scratch. What’s worse is I typically lease. There is a vocal contingent on here that thinks this is idiotic and extolls CPO.
That’s fine too but I won’t do it. Why? Because there is about to be a CPO Fiesta ST at a local Ford dealer. It is low mileage (15k) on a 2018, garage Kept, well maintained, and has not even a door ding (I had one removed via PDR.)
It’s just the sort that that crowd loves. It has also not seen a day of being driven over 24 months where the motor didn’t kiss the red line nor generally get driven like the rental car it was. Wait until my Challenger hits the CPO lot. I love me some launch control and that Hemi SINGS at redline. Yeah, I don’t buy used.
Yea, the only reason I’d buy a used vehicle in the future is because the thing I want doesn’t exist anymore.
“Ford Bronco Interior Pics Should Tide You Over”
Yes, pictures instead of the vehicles themselves keeps my payment low, but does it do much for Ford’s bottom line?
I am more interested in the new compact pickup that Ford is suppose to introduce. Make it a true compact pickup priced below 20k, 5 foot bed or more, and offer a cab choice besides crew cab and I will buy it.
It is based on a Focus, so not sure how big you think it can be. Also not sure what this has to do with the Bronco.
Read it again…
I’m generally a Ford fan, but not sure if this Bronco will be as successful as Ford is counting on. (Kind of like the Jeep Renegade, which never did hit its sales targets ). It looks ok, but don’t think it is big enough of an SUV for its target market..
It will be the first year. Following years not so sure.
It is probably EPA certification and cost. The 2.3 T with manual is already built and certified for the relatively higher volume Mustang. The 2.7 isn’t offered in anything with a stick.
Yawn.
It’s taken far too long to come up with an inferior, overpriced, poorly designed, low quality Wrangler clone. Nobody really cares about this or the butch Escape version anymore. Both are major letdowns.
Art, yes the new mini truck is not the subject of this article but I am just stating the Ford product that I would buy now a real compact pickup. The Ford compact pickup is probably going to be based on the Escape and not the Focus and I doubt it will have a double clutch transmission. Those of us who don’t need or want a large pickup or an over sized intermediate would like a smaller more affordable option.