Ranger and Bronco officially returning

This just in: Ford will offer a special trim level of the Bronco called the Pursuit Pack featuring special Arctic White paint and a pair of leather driving gloves that are too small.

Sorry, I'll show myself out.....

Dave wrote: Excuse the crude mock-up but how about a shortened Raptor?

This gets my vote. Actually, I'm kind of hoping for something reminiscent of the old Bronco like the fake rendering with Raptor chassis and that newly announced V6 turbo diesel.

I'd seriously consider that worth buying new.

ultraclyde wrote: This just in: Ford will offer a special trim level of the Bronco called the Pursuit Pack featuring special Arctic White paint and a pair of leather driving gloves that are too small. Sorry, I'll show myself out.....

Optimized for 55 mph cruising speed too.

mtn wrote:

SyntheticBlinkerFluid wrote: I think the Bronco will end up channeling the FJ Cruiser. Clamshell rear doors so it looks more like a two-door than a 4-door. There's a reason there aren't 2-Door SUVs anymore.

I was thinking about that--what 2 door SUV's have there been since the Blazer and Bronco left? I come up with the FJ (kinda), the Juke (kinda), and the Element (kinda). I guess Isuzu's, but I think those left around the same time as the last Blazer/Jimmy and Cherokee. Not including the Wranglers in this, because they're different. For reasons.

This is from what I can remember. These were the last, true, 2-Door SUVs:

• XJ Cherokee lasted until 2001
• 2-Door S-10 Blazer lasted until early 00's.
• 2-Door Tahoe lasted until '99.
• Bronco was killed off in 1996.
• Isuzu Amigo lasted until 2004.
• 2-Door RAV4 lasted until '99.
• 2-Door Sportage lasted until 2004.
• Isuzu VehiCross lasted until '99

No one has made a true 2-Door SUV since 2004 as far as I know. And yes the Wrangler doesn't count.

Wasn't the Escape available in a 2 door?

Crackers wrote: Wasn't the Escape available in a 2 door?

Nope.

I for one am extremely excited about the new Ranger. I saw them in person when I was in Mexico last year and just drooled. They check all the boxes for me and I really like them.

I'm unsure of what to think on the Bronco but really dig them despite them not solving any particular issue of the 84FSP clan. If they can snag even half the magic the Toyota FJ did upon release they will sell lots of them.

I'd like to see a new Ranger come out. Mine is 20 years old. But hopefully Ford updates the suspension and uses an already proven drive train, maybe the ones they use in the I-4 and V-6 Mustang. If its big enough for the v-8 then they made it too big. (IMO)

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Crackers wrote: Wasn't the Escape available in a 2 door?

Nope.

but the Explorer was. The explorer sport was made from 01-03 iirc

I can't explain why, but full-size 2-door SUV's are cool. I'm currently kind of looking for a 2-door Tahoe/Yukon, but would take a Bronco if the right one came along.

Wonder if there is any chance this new Bronco would be available with a removable top? That's one thing Bronco's had going for them up until the end (although on the later version Ford really didn't want you taking it off).

I have an FJ now and love it. Was sadly disappointed when Toyota stopped production. If Ford manages to come out with a small, boxy, off-road capable rig I will be all over it.

MrChaos wrote:

Tom_Spangler wrote:

Crackers wrote: Wasn't the Escape available in a 2 door?

Nope.

but the Explorer was. The explorer sport was made from 01-03 iirc

There was a 2-door Explorer Sport from 1991 to ?1994. I had a 1991, the first year they came out. Traded my 1984 Ranger for it. They were also sold as a Mazda Navaho.

Currently occupying my driveway are a 2 door XJ and a 2 door JK. Count me as another fan of the 2 door SUV.

I'm hoping for something FJ Cruiser-esque as well. 2 doors (I'd settle for the clamshell deal if I had to, I guess, but not a real 4 door!), retro styling based on the 1st gen Bronco, either of the Ecoboost v6s (or the Coyote, or a turbo diesel), maybe an aluminum body, 5k towing, real off road capability...I think that's a winning formula. I'd consider one, especially if I can get a stick and/or take the top off.

D2W wrote: I have an FJ now and love it. Was sadly disappointed when Toyota stopped production. If Ford manages to come out with a small, boxy, off-road capable rig I will be all over it.

Everyone that owns one seems to love the FJ...you guys need to knock it off so the prices come down a bit

Let's be real. It'll just be a rename of something that already exists. 2020 Bronco? That's the 2017 explorer. 2019 ranger? Yeah that used to be the f-150.

Not putting rear seat access doors in would be a sales disaster.

That's how people that can only afford one car can justify buying an image vehicle....that's most buyers.

That's why the 4 door Wrangler is a thing.

I guarantee you it will have rear suicide doors, or they'll hide the handle in the C-pillar.

I had a first year 2 door Pathfinder. Even before kids, what a PITA. I used to think 4 door trucks looked dumb, too.

Concept looks cool, though. Right next to the second generation Corrado and new MR2 I've been waiting on. (The Spyder didn't count.)

my bet on the bronco.. it will be a retro wrangler fighter, a vehicle for actually going offroad. I wonder if it will come with a removable hardtop?

In reply to mad_machine:

What are you talking about, clearly the Wrangler has horrible sales.

I just wish we could get a modern ranger with modern safety and fuel mileage and comforts and power, just in a smaller size. Closer to the old ones.

Joey

I enjoyed my EB. Sold it when I bought my FJ60.

jharry3 wrote: I'd like to see a new Ranger come out. Mine is 20 years old. But hopefully Ford updates the suspension and uses an already proven drive train, maybe the ones they use in the I-4 and V-6 Mustang. If its big enough for the v-8 then they made it too big. (IMO)

If it's big enough that fitting it with a modern mustang I4 or V6 (both make 300+hp) doesn't kill a significant amount of buyers, it's probably too big.

In reply to mad_machine: I hope so.

Funny the desire for really small trucks. I think.

Yes, I see there is a desire, but I don't at all see the desire big enough to have all car companies trying to make small pick ups. A lot of the reason they existed in the first place were keeping CAFE numbers balanced- it allowed the high profit big trucks to be pigs. It's also why the small trucks almost universally were cheap- as there's no way you can make a body on frame truck as cheap as a car (even a body on frame car).

IMHO (and it's an opinion, not any fact) trucks like the Ridgeline have shown there's a market for medium unibody trucks- which is what the Ranger is these days (last I checked). The key to selling it is to make enough money doing it- and I suspect that some of the advancements seen in smaller CUV's will show up in the trucks so that they are both clean and economical.

Which, to me, suggests a Edge sized pair of vehicles. Which has a pretty decent range of engines, 2.0l Turbo, 3.5 NA, and a 3.5 boosted (at one point). probably the larger V6's will be the newer smaller ones.

What's really funny about this- IF the base engine turns out to be a 2.0l turbo, it will be more powerful than any engine offered (stock) in a Ranger or a Bronco previously.

(A better guess is that both vehicles will be derivatives of the newer RWD explorer, which is ironic, since the explorer was a derivative of the bronco and ranger...)

alfadriver wrote: IMHO (and it's an opinion, not any fact) trucks like the Ridgeline have shown there's a market for medium unibody trucks- which is what the Ranger is these days (last I checked).

The current global Ranger is still body-on-frame construction. Sounds like the intent for the next Ranger is to compete with the other mid-size heavy hitters. Right now, that's the GM Canyonado twins and the Tacoma. All are also body-on-frame, so I'd expect the next Ranger to continue that trend. The Ridgeline seems like the truck that most Americans actually need, but the body on frame stuff seems to be selling much better. Especially globally. You can't easily put a utility bed on a unibody truck, and I'd expect fleet/chassis cab sales to be a part of the equation for Ford when they jump back into the market.. You certainly have better access to inside info than I do, but I'd be pretty surprised to see it come out as a unibody.

I'd think if they were going to do a unibody truck, they'd base it off of the Transit Connect to keep it smaller, and avoid overlap with profitable F-150 sales.

A Ridgeline type thing with a proper drivetrain (not FWD based crap) would be a perfect truck for a lot of the people who DD an F-150 or similar.