ford is reportedly planning to release a new compact SUV for Europe with the famous Bronco nameplate and equipped with a plug-in hybrid powertrain (PHEV) – but it will be another Bronco that is unlikely to be sold in Australia.
The plan was first revealed by Autocar in September and now Automotive News Europe has cited sources confirming that the new SUV will be called the Bronco, have a PHEV powertrain and will be produced alongside the Kuga mid-size SUV at Ford’s Valencia plant in Spain from 2027.
Accordingly ANEThe Spanish-built Bronco will be slightly smaller than the Kuga, which was sold in Australia as the Escape until its discontinuation in 2023, and is not related to the Bronco Sport (pictured above) or larger Bronco SUVs sold only in the US, or the Bronco EV sold in China, all of which are only produced in left-hand drive.
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While the North American full-size Bronco is based on the same Australian-developed T6 ladder frame platform as the Ranger Ute and Everest SUV, the European Bronco will be based on the same C2 monocoque architecture as the US-built Bronco Sport and Maverick ute, as well as the Kuga/Escape.
The C2 platform also previously formed the basis for the subcompact Focus car, which was phased out in Australia in 2022 alongside the smaller Fiesta model and then discontinued globally last month after 27 years, so the European Bronco will be an indirect replacement for the long-standing Blue Oval nameplate.
But while the Focus was produced at the Ford factory in Saarlouis in Germany until November 17th, ANE reports that the new Bronco will increase much-needed volume at its Spanish factory, which now only builds the Kuga after axing several models including the Mondeo midsize car and the Galaxy and S-Max people movers.
The first Bronco model to be sold in Europe is expected to sport a boxy design with rugged styling cues to differentiate it from the Kuga. It will give Ford a direct competitor to compact off-road SUVs such as the Dacia Bigster and Jeep Compass, whose new generation in 2026 will bring PHEV power in addition to hybrid and all-electric powertrains.
However, sources reported ANE The European Bronco will not be available as an electric vehicle.
Ford previously announced it would produce a new “multi-energy” model in Valencia, suggesting the European Bronco could be available with both plugless hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
Aside from continuing Ford’s strategy of applying its iconic American nameplates to all-new electrified models, which began with the all-electric Explorer large SUV built for Europe in Cologne and continued with the Mustang Mach-E and Capri electric SUVs, the new Bronco model will also see Ford move further away from a general car brand and focus on select “hero” models in Europe.
Following the Fiesta, Focus, Mondeo, Falcon and Territory, Ford is undergoing a similar transition in Australia, where the Blue Oval brand only offers the Ranger, Everest, Mustang, Mustang Mach-E, Tourneo, F-150 and Transit-badged vans and is no longer present in the country’s largest new car sales segment (midsize SUVs).
In fact, Ford Australia is also missing a combustion-powered SUV smaller than the Everest off-roader after backtracking on the decision to launch the latest Puma small SUV, which is now available overseas in battery-electric guise and remains Ford’s best-selling vehicle in Europe, ahead of the Kuga (excluding the van).
Ford Australia would not comment on the prospects of the European Bronco being sold here, although it is likely to be produced in right-hand drive for markets such as Britain and will meet some of the most stringent safety and emissions regulations in the world.
However, any Ford model made in Europe would face the same problems locally as the Puma and Kuga – import tariffs and relatively high shipping costs, which would make it difficult to compete with the increasing number of low-cost rivals from China.
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