How many years has it been since Ford announced it was bringing back the Bronco? Would you believe it’s been three and counting? How many years are we supposed to wait before Ford comes through? It sounds like the day may be upon us, finally. Ford dealers attending the NADA Show in Las Vegas were told it will introduce the new Bronco next month. It also said the “baby Bronco” called Bronco Sport will probably debut at the New York Auto Show in April. 

As the most anticipated new vehicle this year Ford told its dealers it expects to sell over 200,000 in 2021 according to Automotive News. Dealers are said to be anticipating more enthusiastic sales than those of the new F-150 design and Mustang Mach-E which will also become available later this year. 

Ford has had rough times with new launches but says Bronco will have a better outcome

Ford has had a rough time with new-model launches in recent years. It also has a reputation for stringing out launches until consumers start losing interest. The 2019 Explorer is an example of the former and the T-Bird is an example of the latter. In the T-Bird’s case, Ford had shown a concept that was fairly close to the final production version. Year-after-year it dragged out the concept until it became somewhat stale even before it hit production. 

Even though the Bronco will be shown first the Bronco Sport will be the first one to appear in dealer lots late this year. The Bronco won’t begin showing up until the first part of 2021. Both versions will be available as a two-door or four-door. 

Ford plans on having available many accessories by the time Bronco is out

Following Jeep’s lead Ford will follow the release of the Bronco with hundreds of accessories to boost profits. Ford wants to have all of the accessories plugged into the dealer network so that they are available at the same time the Bronco hits showrooms. Designed to be configured in different guises, the top is removable as are the doors. 

The Bronco was the big news at the annual dealer meeting but there was more to come. Many dealers are upset that sedans have been cut. They feel the lower prices of sedans helped to bring customers into lots. Ford says its dealers posted the fourth-best year of profit in the company’s history. It expects even more profits for 2020.

Ford had other news besides Bronco

Ford also says it has 50% of the commercial van business in the US and 30% share of the large SUV segment with its Expedition. It said that the new FordPass Rewards has seen 3.5 million users so far. This is a points system set up last year that allows service customers to accumulate points toward service work. 

It is hoped that the anticipated Bronco sales will not cannibalize some of the other Ford products similar to it like the Escape or Edge. Or for that matter, the new F-150 set to debut around the same time. With the Mustang Mach-E also appearing around this time there will be a lot of Ford SUVs roaming around, not to mention the competition. 

As things heat up in the SUV segment it will be interesting to see how it shakes out by the end of the year.