Manoli Katakis 
Ford’s iconic F-Series and Mustang have been in continuous production for decades, though the cult-classic Ford Bronco SUV has been missing in action for decades now.
It’s no secret that’s going to change as soon as next year, but not only will the rough and tough off-road SUV make a return, it will reportedly usher in a pickup truck version, too. That’s the word from the reputable Automobile magazine, which reported Monday that close sources to the vehicle program outed the secret pickup project.
Per the sources, there are two timeframes for the Ford Bronco pickup truck. The folks at AutoForecast Solutions expects the truck to arrive in 2024. However, Automobile’s anonymous source said 2022 is the earliest we’ll see it. All expectations point to a 2020 debut for the Bronco SUV as a 2021 model year vehicle.
Like the standard Bronco, the purported Bronco pickup is said to ride on an architecture that will also underpin the next-generation Ford Ranger. The automaker has been reportedly working on the platform since before the nameplate made its return to the North American market. Recall, the current Ranger sold in the U.S. is based on a global architecture heavily updated to meet essential standards in this part of the world. It’s otherwise been on sale around the globe for quite a few years now.
The situation will give Ford not two, but three body-on-frame pickups to position on the market. The sources added the bodystyle of the Ford Bronco pickup is shaping up to be something like an Explorer SportTrac, which fell between the Ranger and F-150 in size, though didn’t sell as well. But with that in mind, we can expect a smaller bed than the Bronco pickup’s most obvious rivals, the Jeep Gladiator and Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
Also expect the pickup to come exclusively with four doors, while the SUV will be available with two or four to best challenge its own rivals, the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner.
The magazine’s report didn’t provide any more explicit details, though it’s safe to say the Bronco pickup truck would absolutely share many, if not all, of the Bronco’s party tricks. So far, there are indications the Bronco will sport removable doors, a retractable cloth roof, and even a 7-speed manual transmission.
Giving further credence to the blockbuster report is that Ford is allegedly shaping the Bronco to be more than just a vehicle, but and entire sub-brand of vehicles. Additional evidence of this are multiple USPTO trademarks with the “Bronco” name in it. These include “Bronco Sport,” and “Bronco Scout,” while a Bronco Raptor is expected, as well. The “Maverick” name is also speculated to be some type of Bronco vehicle, and could very well be the pickup truck (remember, Jeep differentiated the Gladiator from the Wrangler with its own name, so it’s definitely in the realm of possibilities here). These could just all just as well be trim levels, however.
We don’t know when exactly we’ll see the highly anticipated SUV bow, but it sure would make for a great star vehicle at the reborn North American International Auto Show in Detroit in summer 2020.
Lastly, we’re left wrestling a big question. As eluded to in the title: with a Ford Bronco pickup truck, what would be the the point of a Ford Ranger Raptor? We hope to have our questions answered someday soon.
