The 2021 Ford Bronco Will Finally Debut July 9

The iconic 4×4 is making a long-awaited comeback.

The Ford Bronco R prototype

It’s official: the hotly-anticipated Ford Bronco will its triumphant return this summer. Ford announced the July 9 reveal date of the revamped 4×4’s global debut via this Instagram post. 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBYZVPRnSQF

“07/09/20. The Wild Returns. @FordBronco #FordBronco #BuiltWild,” the caption reads. 

While no new art of the forthcoming SUV was provided, previously released images and videos have painted a fairly complete picture of what’s coming. Camouflaged prototypes that are likely representative of the production version have been shown plowing through mud and the Mojave Desert in clips from Ford.

And in 2019, a one-off racer dubbed the Bronco R took on the Baja 1000, but failed to finish because of ski plate damage, high engine temps and an inability to cope with mud, according to Trucks.com.  

The Bronco R was built on modified Ford Ranger T6 architecture, with an independent front suspension that was raised 14 inches, a five-link rear chassis design capable of 18 inches of travel, custom Fox shocks, 17-inch aluminum wheels and knobby 37-inch BFGoodrich tires.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BaKhSloYdY

CNET’s Road Show listed off many of the production Bronco’s likely features. A removable roof and doors, two- or four-door setups with body-on-frame architecture, a choice between either a V6 or the Ford Ranger’s turbocharged 2.3-liter in-line four cylinder, a seven-speed manual transmission, and two different chassis sizes are all in the cards. 

The Ford Bronco R prototype

A smaller stablemate dubbed the Bronco Sport that’s built on existing Ford platforms might also be released alongside the standard, full-size Bronco. None of the details have been confirmed, except for the date. All of our Bronco questions will be answered come July 9. 

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