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Ford’s Electric Bronco Costs The Same As Ours And Gives You Twice The Power

  • Ford’s new Bronco Basecamp starts at just over $32,000 in China.
  • The electric model delivers 445 hp and up to 404 miles of range.
  • A range-extended version offers 758 miles of total driving range.

Shortly after introducing range-extended and fully electric versions of the Bronco Basecamp in China, Ford opened the order books for its newest off-road offering. While most eyes may still be on the familiar Bronco lineup in the West, this China-market version makes a strong case of its own.

Read: Ford’s Electrified Bronco Arrives In China With A Pop Up Roof Surprise

As we’ve come to expect from pretty much all new cars sold in China, the electrified Bronco is affordable by Western standards and is bound to make some US buyers feel stewing.

 Ford’s Electric Bronco Costs The Same As Ours And Gives You Twice The Power

Although it bears more than a passing resemblance to a scaled-up and refreshed Bronco Sport, the Basecamp wasn’t drawn from the same blueprint. Instead, it was developed through Ford’s joint venture with Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), which has increasingly become the brand’s partner of choice for locally tailored models.

Ford’s foothold in China has eroded significantly over the past decade, with annual sales dropping from over 1.2 million units in 2014 to fewer than 200,000 last year. A model like this, combining familiar design cues with drivetrain options built to local tastes, might just help reverse that disastrous slide.

What Do You Get For The Money?

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Ford has confirmed the new Bronco Basecamp will start at 229,800 yuan ($32,300), topping out at 282,800 yuan ($39,800). That pricing roughly mirrors the smaller Bronco Sport sold in the US, which starts at $31,695 and tops out at $40,115 before delivery charges and taxes. But in China, buyers get significantly more than just a roomier body.

Where the American Bronco Sport comes with either a 1.5-liter turbo three-cylinder or a 2.0-liter turbo four, the Basecamp goes fully electric with a 105.4 kWh battery and twin motors generating 445 hp. On a full charge, it’s rated for up to 404 miles (650 km).

Then there’s the range-extender version. This alternative setup pairs a 1.5-liter turbocharged engine with dual electric motors and a 43.7 kWh battery pack. The result is 416 hp and a claimed 137 miles (220 km) of electric-only range. Thanks to the engine topping up the battery as needed, total driving range stretches to 758 miles (1,220 km) on China’s optimistic CLTC cycle.

Longer, Wider, Better?

The new SUV shares its 116.1-inch (2,950 mm) wheelbase with the full-size four-door Bronco sold in the US, offering a noticeably longer body than America’s more compact Bronco Sport, which measures just 105.1 inches (2,670 mm) between the axles.

At 197.8 inches (5,025 mm) in overall length, it also outstretches both of its siblings, eclipsing the standard Bronco by over eight inches and the Bronco Sport by more than two feet.

This Chinese model is also laden with other important features. This includes a roof-mounted LiDAR as part of a suite of more than 30 sensors and cameras, enabling advanced driver assistance functions.

The cabin is also a far cry from the American Bronco and Bronco Sport and includes a 15.6-inch infotainment display, a digital gauge cluster, and a 70-inch head-up display.

It might not wear the Bronco badge in quite the same spirit as the American original, but for China’s EV-hungry buyers, that may not matter much. For now, Ford has no plans to export the Bronco Basecamp, and even if that changes, North America almost certainly won’t be on the list.

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Ford’s Electrified Bronco Arrives In China With A Pop Up Roof Surprise

  • Ford has begun accepting orders for the Bronco Basecamp in China.
  • Early customers get a free pop-up glass roof, made for camping.
  • The model offers fully electric and range-extended powertrains.

Following its debut at the Chengdu Auto Show, Ford has opened orders for the new Bronco Smart Horse / Basecamp, the third model in its Bronco family developed exclusively for China. While that’s not too interesting, the company is sweetening the deal by giving early customers a free ‘one-click roof-lift camping package.’

More: Ford Shows Off Wild Bronco With No Roof, No Doors, And Nothing To Lose

Despite sounding like a pop-up tent, it’s simply a panoramic glass roof that tilts 14.2 inches (360 mm) skyward to provide more headroom above the second-row. This promises to be more comfortable than it sounds as the front seats fold down and have headrests that lower at the push of a button.

Customers can also fold the second-row seats down and apparently cover both rows with a Bronco-branded inflatable mattress.

Tailgate Tricks

The camping theme continues at the rear, where the Basecamp features what Ford calls a “mountain kitchen” on the tailgate. It includes a fold-down table as well as a magnetic strip for holding knives and silverware. There’s also a drinks holder as well as an integrated bottle opener.

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While this sounds a little odd, Ford refers to the Basecamp as their “first all-terrain camping SUV.” The company also noted customers can get ¥12,000 ($1,685) worth of free equipment by placing a ¥1,000 ($140) deposit on the vehicle.

Power in Two Flavors

Ford hasn’t said much about the Bronco Basecamp, but the fully electric variant has a dual-motor all-wheel drive system producing a combined output of 445 hp (332 kW / 451 PS). It’s powered by a 105.4 kWh battery pack, which delivers 404 miles (650 km) of range.

Customers can also opt for an extended-range variant, which has a turbocharged 1.5-liter engine, two electric motors, and a 43.7kWh battery pack. This version has 416 hp (310 kW / 421 PS) and an electric-only range of 137 miles (220 km). However, the ICE engine extends the overall range to 758 miles (1,220 km) in the CLTC cycle.

Size Matters

The new SUV rides on a 116.1-inch (2,950 mm) wheelbase, the same as the full-size four-door Bronco in the US and far longer than the 105.1 inches (2,670 mm) of the Bronco Sport. Overall length also stretches to 197.8 inches (5,025 mm), making it larger than both the Bronco at 189.4 inches (4,810 mm) and the Bronco Sport at 173.4 inches (4,400 mm).

For now, Ford has made it clear that the electrified Bronco Basecamp is destined solely for China, with no plans to bring the model to North America.

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