The Ford Bronco is the traditionalist’s idea of an SUV. Big, heavy and with a huge emphasis on go-anywhere ability, it’s the antithesis of today’s mall-frequenting crossovers. It couldn’t be more American if it wore a Stetson.
But even this boxy 4×4 can’t escape the tide of electrification – at least, not in China, where Ford has just revealed the Bronco New Energy. Available in full electric and range-extended versions, the new car is billed as a Bronco for the city, which is just as well, because this is not a Bronco underneath.
Whereas the OG version is a ladder-frame SUV built on the bones of the Ranger, the New Energy model looks to be a unibody car, with softer curves and the ditching of the removable roof. As per the regular Bronco, you get an upright body and glasshouse, along with large round headlights (cut off at the top and bottom here) bisected by a horizontal light bar.
This time, however, the lamps are sealed behind a clear cover like the smaller Bronco Sport, presumably to improve aerodynamics. Also aiding in this regard is a slot in the grille that directs air through the bonnet, in a similar fashion to the Mazda EZ-60.
Elsewhere, you’ll find integrated bumpers, sleeker wheel arch flares, flush pop-out door handles, a side-opening tailgate with an external spare tyre and vertical taillights. No interior shots just yet, but Ford claims the Bronco New Energy’s “smart” cabin can be configured in several ways to suit different use cases, such as napping, transporting pets and camping.
So far, the carmaker has only released battery capacities and range figures for the two powertrain variants. The pure EV model gets a massive 105.4 kWh battery for a claimed range of 640 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle, while the range-extended (REEV) version gets a 43.7 kWh pack – the largest in its class, Ford says – for an EV range of 220 km and a total range of 1,220 km.
Chinese publication Autohome managed to dig up other information on the car, which is reportedly even bigger than the regular Bronco five-door. Measuring 5,025 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,815 mm tall, the Bronco New Energy is 215 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 32 mm taller, even though its 2,950 mm wheelbase is exactly the same.
Powering the EV model are apparently dual motors that produce 177 PS (130 kW) at the front and 275 PS (202 kW) at the rear, while the REEV uses a 245 PS (180 kW) rear motor and is supported by a 1.5 litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine making 150 PS (110 kW). Both have a top speed of 170 km/h.
Maintaining an iota of off-road credibility, Ford says the Bronco New Energy will come with a built-in “off-road road book” containing 20 so-called “curated routes”. Another difference over the full-fat Bronco is the inclusion of highly-autonomous driving functionality that is becoming ever common in China, thanks to the addition of a roof-mounted lidar sensor.
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