The Bronco is coming back, and we’re still waiting with bated breath for all the juicy details from Ford. Luckily, it’s looking like we won’t have to wait too much longer, as a full debut is expected early next year at the Detroit Auto Show this coming January. However, before then, we’re picking apart all the rumors we can get our hands on, including the possibility Ford will source the Bronco’s underlying structure from the new Ranger.

A Ranger Under The Skin?

According to our friends over at Road & Track, Ford will build the new Bronco using the same underlying structure as the latest Ranger, rather than repurposing the older F-150 architecture like it did with the previous Bronco.

That tidbit of insight comes to us from an interview Road & Track conducted with Ford product head Joe Hinrichs. Road & Track also points out that a post on Reddit from a user claiming to be a designer at Ford says the Bronco will be a lot like the Everest, which is another SUV built on the bones of the Ranger.

However, there’s a wrench to throw in all this, as Raj Nair, Ford’s former Chief Technical Officer, told Road & Track that the new Bronco would indeed share the Ranger platform, but would be entirely different from the Everest in every other way, and not just a facelift of an older model.

As such, it’s entirely possible the Bronco will incorporate the same powertrain and drivetrain as the Ranger as well, with a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder under the hood mating to a 10-speed automatic transmission. If that’s the case, look for output to peak at around 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, all of which will head towards the pavement through an available 4WD system.

It’s likely we’ll see the Bronco incorporate a hybrid powertrain to boot, as outlined in Ford’s Q1 Earnings call in April, which mentions the “F-150, Mustang Explorer, Escape, and Bronco” as recipients of the latest electrified powertrains from the Blue Oval.

Pricing for the 2020 Bronco will slot in at around $30,000. Production should kick off sometime next year. Both the Ranger and the new Bronco will be built at the same factory in Michigan, which further underlines the similarities between these two vehicles.

Road & Track0

Read our full speculative review on the 2020 Ford Bronco.

Read our speculative review on the 2019 Ford Ranger.

Read our full review on the 2019 Ford Ranger Raptor.

Read our full speculative review on the 2021 Baby Bronco.

Read our full review on the 2005 Ford Bronco.