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Ford’s Mysterious New Bronco SUV Surfaces In China And It’s Unlike Anything Else

  • Ford is set to launch a new addition to the Bronco family in the Chinese market.
  • A camouflaged prototype of the upcoming SUV has made its spy debut in China.
  • It seems to feature a unibody architecture, paired with an electrified powertrain.

Ford’s Bronco family is about to get a whole lot bigger, and it looks like China will be the first to see the new addition. A camouflaged SUV sporting Bronco badges and styling has been spotted in China, giving us an early glimpse of an upcoming high-riding model from Ford. This SUV is clearly a departure from the US-spec Bronco Sport and will join the mid-size five-door Bronco already on sale in China.

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This mysterious SUV was included in Ford’s latest product plan for China, which was announced just last month. While the official announcement kept things vague, spy shots from Autohome have given us a few juicy details about what could be the third member of Ford’s ever-expanding Bronco family.

Design Details and Familiar Features

The camouflaged prototype boasts a boxy, rugged design reminiscent of the growing number of SUVs from China. The headlights carry a Bronco Sport influence, though they forgo the signature round LED graphics. From the side, round fender flares, pop-out door handles, and an upright windshield with black pillars add to the vehicle’s bold look.

At the rear, a full-size spare tire and vertically stacked taillights bring to mind the Land Rover Defender, while the clear finish gives it a contemporary touch.

Moving inside, the Bronco identity shines through, highlighted by the emblem on the flat-bottom steering wheel. Though parts of the interior remain concealed, we can still make out a high-mounted center console featuring ample storage and a free-standing infotainment screen seamlessly integrated into the dashboard.

Size and Unibody Architecture

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Spy Shots Autohome

While the exact dimensions and positioning of this model remain unclear, it appears to be larger than the US-spec Ford Bronco Sport, which measures 4,387 mm (172.7 inches) long. This could be Ford’s response to the perceived preference of Chinese customers for bigger and roomier vehicles. For context, the five-door Bronco stretches to 4,800-4,825 mm (189-190 inches) in length.

A look underneath suggests that the SUV is based on a unibody architecture. This is probably the biggest point of differentiation from the regular Bronco that rides on a ladder-frame chassis sourced from the Ranger pickup. It remains to be seen whether this Chinese model will share its unibody foundation with the Bronco Sport, Escape/Kuga, and Focus, or if Ford has something entirely different in mind for its new Bronco variant.

More: A New Ford Sedan Has Been Spied In America

 Ford’s Mysterious New Bronco SUV Surfaces In China And It’s Unlike Anything Else
A screenshot from Ford’s product plan presentation in China.

Elements such as the covered grille, the aero-friendly alloy wheels, and the dual ports on the rear fenders suggest that the SUV is fitted with an electrified powertrain, which would be a first for a Bronco-badged product. The setup could either be a plug-in hybrid or a range-extender, as both of them require the presence of a fuel port and a charging port.

A few details, like the covered grille, aero-friendly alloy wheels, and dual ports on the rear fenders, hint that this SUV might come with an electrified powertrain, which if true, would be a first for anything wearing the Bronco badge. This could mean a plug-in hybrid or a range-extender setup, as both would require both a fuel port and a charging port.

This new Bronco model is expected to be built in China, likely through one of Ford’s joint ventures with Changan or Jiangling Motors. Expect more details later this year, when the vehicle’s specs and images will likely be revealed through China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, ahead of its official market launch.

 Ford’s Mysterious New Bronco SUV Surfaces In China And It’s Unlike Anything Else
The highest grade of the Chinese-spec Ford Bronco.
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