Easy. Because it means rescuing the 4×4 segment.
Despite the fact that SUVs arrive at the crest of the wave of the automotive market for about 15 years, with increasingly high sales records and an offer of models that grows by the week, the segment of authentic 4x4s has been experiencing low hours for years. . And not only that, because the prospects for this type of vehicle is that they continue to plummet until, who knows, even disappear.
Nor does it help that the change in market trend, driven by a series of European regulations such as the one that seeks to ban the sale of combustion cars from 2035, has turned towards more efficient vehicles such as electric cars, which has finished dooming off-roaders.
Fortunately, not all markets in the world coexist with the restrictive European regulations, so some manufacturers still develop and market 4×4 vehicles, although with little intention of launching them on European markets.
Why the return of the Ford Bronco to Europe is excellent news for car lovers
One of the few exceptions that breaks with this practice is that of Ford, which, earlier this month, announced that the Bronco would land in Europe at the end of next year. This means that we will still have to wait a bit for access to the Ford Bronco with European specifications, but it is good news for car lovers that this model is going to be sold in Spain.
Mainly for the reasons that I have argued in the previous paragraphs, since the Ford Bronco will help keep the SUV segment alive, a segment that, today, has only a few representatives such as the Mercedes G-Class or the Toyota Landcruiser.
Something cheaper can be the Suzuki Jimny, although it has to be purchased as a commercial vehicle, and the Jeep Wrangler, although it also has a very high price tag despite being available with a plug-in hybrid powertrain.
The great news is that there are still manufacturers willing to defy the rules and try to supply products to a niche market where there are still genuine fans. Ford will bring the Bronco to Europe in limited numbers (not yet specified), but at least we’ll know it’s coming and whoever buys it will be able to enjoy a real 4×4.
A Ford Bronco for the European market
And it is that the European Ford Bronco will have a high-strength steel chassis and a high-performance off-road suspension composed of independent wishbones with long-travel coil springs at the front and a five-link solid rear axle with long-distance springs. variable speed travel as well as heavy-duty shock absorbers.
It will also offer all the technology designed to improve its off-road performance, such as the Terrain Management System and the specific off-road driving modes GOAT, which offers the traditional Normal, Eco, Sport and Slippery programs, in addition to Mud/ Sand and Low.
Other notable systems include Trail Control (an off-road cruise control), Trail Turn Assist (which uses brake-based torque vectoring to reduce the turning radius by up to 40%), and Trail One-Pedal Drive (the driver can accelerate and brake using only the accelerator pedal).
At an aesthetic level, there will be hardly any changes. The Ford Bronco for the European market will be available in a five-door body with 17- or 18-inch wheels and off-road tires. Inside will be modern amenities and equipment, such as a 12-inch touchscreen multimedia system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.
At the moment, Ford has not gone into details about the mechanical range. In the United States it is available with three engines, a 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder and two V6s, one 2.7-liter and one 3.0-liter exclusive to the Ford Bronco Raptor.
The availability of units for each European country has not been announced, nor have prices been disclosed, although we will discover more details as the planned launch date for the end of 2023 approaches.
