If you’re an American automaker, China is still the place to be. Though the economy seems to be in free fall, there are still a ton of vehicles sold there every day. That’s why China was the next choice now that the Ford Bronco is selling in Europe. And that’s what Ford is doing right now.

This isn’t one of those Chinese ripoffs we deride occasionally on this and other sites. This is a legit Ford product. Ford and Chinese automaker Jiangling are holding hands in this joint venture. This is the second such pairing, as Jiangling already makes the Ranger pickup. 

Are there many differences between the Chinese and U.S. Bronco?

While Bronco fans can see it’s a real Bronco, there will be some interesting differences. Nothing major, but they are worth noting, especially if you’re a Bronco enthusiast. And right off the bat, there will only be the four-door version that is sold in China. No two-doors.

However, according to the postings on China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology posting, both the height and overall length are different from American-made versions. In the filings, it appears that the tires are shorter and narrower, which partly explains the height difference.

Are U.S. and China Bronco engines the same?

As to the length, some of the extra length of the Jiangling Bronco is taken up by the rear bumper. Maybe it is just in the images themselves, but the front bumper looks like its mounting is slightly forward from U.S. versions. Both would explain this part of the difference puzzle. 

We don’t know how much difference there is between the U.S.-spec 2.3-liter engine from China versus the U.S. version. But the Chinese Bronco engine is down on power, with North American EcoBoost 2.3-liters punching out 300 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque. While the Chinese 2.3 is at 271 hp but has more torque at 335.6 lb-ft. Another difference is that the Jiangling version gets an eight-speed automatic transmission, while in America, the Ford Broncos have 10-speeds. There also is no manual transmission option. 

Are Chinese Broncos cheaper than in the U.S.?

Visually, there are some minor changes. Clear reflectors replace our orange ones, Chinese lettering on the tailgate, and also changes to the lettering on the grille. We also see two different wheel options and two different fender extensions. 

The base price in China is ¥300,000, according to CarNewsChina, which is around $41,250 here. That’s almost exactly the 2024 North American base price of $41,025. But for China Bronco enthusiasts, it is a big reduction. There, U.S.-import Broncos are selling for between $95,000 to $165,000. That is, until this announcement. 

Let’s hope that the Ford/Jiangling Bronco delights Chinese off-roaders. That might be a tiny positive between China and U.S. relations, which are at a rather low ebb right now.