It’s Official: The 2021 Ford Bronco Isn’t for Europe
by Robert Moore, onOn the onset, the new 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport appear to be a big hit for the blue oval. In the first three weeks after its reveal, North American consumers have made more than 165,000 reservations – something that appears to be a first for Ford. Of course, those reservations only required a refundable, $100 deposit, but for now, things are looking great the new Bronco. But it’s not all peaches and cream and, as it turns out, the Bronco and Bronco Sport are going to be absent from a major market. The worst part is that you can blame the government and you’d likely be right for once.
The Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport Will Never Know Euro-Spec
Despite the warm reception of the Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport here in the United States, Ford has announced that it has absolutely no intention of taking either model to the other side of the big pond. According to a report from Automobilwoche, a Ford Germany spokesman said
“The Bronco has been completely developed for the North American market. There are currently no plans to bring it to Europe.”
Between the amount of attention the new Bronco and Bronco sport have received here in the States, and the fact that Ford has been happily selling the Mustang in Europe since 2015, this seems a little odd right? Well, it doesn’t seem like the idea of off-roading is quite as popular there, but that doesn’t likely have anything to do with it. The truth is that it boils down to emission standards – the same thing that kills a lot of cool cars these days.
Of course, this is just speculation at this point, but with the EU’s increasingly strict CO2 standard of just 95 grams per kilometer, things are already getting tough there. You also have to add in the fact that Ford already has a relatively high CO2 fleet average. Ford’s target for 2021 is 95.4 grams per kilometer, and the new Bronco and Bronco Sport wouldn’t help the company meet that projection thanks to a lack of electrification – at least for now, anyway.
When Ford introduces the rumored hybrid Bronco in the next year or two, that could change, but for now, it’s just not an option. Right now, the Bronco delivers 270 horsepower from a 2.3-liter four-cylinder or 310 horsepower from a 2.7-liter V-6. The Bronco Sport wouldn’t be too bad when equipped with the 181-horsepower 1.5-liter three-cylinder, but there’s also a 245-horsepower 2.0-liter four-banger that wouldn’t exactly help the equation either.
Of course, none of this means that you won’t be able to own a new Bronco in Europe. There’s a good chance that with enough effort you might be able to eventually import one or, someday, the Kuga’s hybrid powertrain could end up in a Euro-spec Bronco, but that’s a discussion for another time.
Source: Automobilwoche
