Sam Krahn 
These days, it’s difficult to sell a mainstream vehicle without a hybrid powertrain option. With tightening regulations and social demand for more fuel efficient and emissions friendly vehicles, hybrids are a great halfway point between gas powered vehicles and fully electric cars. Because of this, we know a hybrid Ford Bronco will launch sometime in the next few years to give a more fuel efficient option to Bronco buyers, and fight the Jeep Wrangler 4xe. And thanks to some spy shots you can see over at Motor1, we might just have our first look at this upcoming hybrid Ford Bronco, only it’s clearly a Warthog prototype.
The latest spy photos showing the Ford Bronco Warthog hybrid can be found here.
While we don’t know for sure if this Ford Bronco test mule is a hybrid, it has some key details that previous Warthog models have lacked, and could hint it’s a hybrid. The first clue is some orange cables down by the rear differential and axle. Hybrid and electric vehicles typically use orange to designate electric drivetrain components, and this will likely carry through to the Bronco hybrid. Next, the exhaust is a single pipe rather than the dual tips other Bronco Warthogs have worn. None of these details confirm it’s the hybrid, but that orange cable certainly suggests it.
This could indicate a few things. First, the Ford Bronco Warthog could come with a hybrid powertrain, but this is unlikely considering the performance orientation of the vehicle and the fact that other testers haven’t had this cable. It’s more likely that the Warthog has the option of a hybrid system, similar to how Jeep offers the Wrangler 4xe in multiple trim levels, including Rubicon.
It’s also possible that this is a test mule for the hybrid Ford Bronco, and just has a Warthog body on it. Manufacturers are known to test upcoming vehicles by sneakily hiding it under another, and with so many Warthog test vehicles around these days, it’s possible that Ford just stuffed the hybrid system under the Warthog body. It’s totally possible that Ford may offer the hybrid powertrain across all Bronco models, as just another engine offering rather than a standalone model like Jeep.
But in the end, we know a Ford Bronco hybrid is coming, whether it’s an engine option or its own model in the range. We also know a Ford Bronco Warthog is coming. We still don’t know if these two upcoming Broncos will come together as a Warthog hybrid, but these spy shots may suggest it.
