Zac Quinn 
While the Ford Bronco has been gunning for a massive piece of the Jeep Wrangler pie, it hasn’t yet managed to put a significant dent in the 4x4s sales as demand for an off-road SUV has been surpassing the production of Ford’s legendary off-roader. But that might change soon as the Ford Bronco is quickly catching up with the Jeep Wrangler in the number of units sold. This means that Ford’s creation of a direct competitor to the Wrangler was a wise decision and shows that the U.S. market is open to getting its hands on more capable and rugged midsized SUVs beyond just Jeeps (and Toyotas). And without a direct answer from GM anytime soon, it looks like the fight for midsize American off-road SUV supremacy will stay between two contenders.
Ford Bronco Vs. Jeep Wrangler Sales: Details
According to official sales data in the fourth quarter of 2021, the Jeep Wrangler sold 39,900 units, while the Ford Bronco sold 24,819. Now if we fast forward to 2022, when production was finally starting to catch up with demand, the Bronco’s sales not only increased by nearly 24 percent but closed the gap between it and the Wrangler to within 10.46 percent. By the end of 2022, the Jeep Wrangler sold 34,253 units, and the Ford Bronco sold 30,670.
Looking at the start of 2023, the Bronco vs Wrangler sales are starting to show that 2022 wasn’t just a fluke. In January alone, the Bronco saw an increase of 25.5 percent compared to the start of last year. Meanwhile, the Wrangler only sold 10,173 units in January 2023, whereas it had sold 14,579 the year prior. However, Stellantis doesn’t directly report Jeep sales monthly, so that number may be off.
That said, these numbers are staggering, especially when you consider the fact that Ford is still dealing with supply chain issues for the Bronco. If Ford can find a way to surpass these issues, the Blue Oval‘s popular SUV may eclipse the long-time king of off-roading. It also makes us wonder when GM might bite the bullet and build their own Wrangler fighter. Though it has been made clear that there’s no intention of making an ICE-powered one, a full EV is entirely possible, and they could be the first in this space with one. Though, with all the other projects GM has going on, we doubt we’ll see an entry into this segment anytime soon.
