CONFIRMED: Ford Bronco arriving in PH this year
A few days ago, we posted on our Facebook page some big news that came in from Ford Philippines. The company announced, albeit probably not with their intention to do so yet, that the highly anticipated Bronco is coming to the Philippines.
This comes after its upcoming arrival was somewhat leaked by one excited Ford dealer group. Confirmation came in the form of an email sent to members of local motoring media, which read as follows:
“Ford Philippines is confirming the launch of the Ford Bronco this year. It will soon be open for reservation exclusively via the Ford online reservation portal at www.ford.com.ph, and will be supported by all Ford dealers nationwide. More information including product specifications and reservation timings will be shared closer to launch date.”
The Ford Bronco was first released in 1966 and has proven popular in the markets where it is available. The current generation came out in 2021 as an off-roader SUV, competing directly against the Jeep Wrangler and built on a similar platform as the popular Ford Everest midsize SUV, and its even more popular Ranger pickup truck sibling. A Sport version is also available, based on the Ford Escape.
Ford Philippines has not yet confirmed what exact Bronco we will be getting in our market. The nameplate comes in three bodystyles—three- or five-door SUVs, and a five-door crossover. It is highly likely though that we’ll get either of the two non-crossover versions so we’ll focus on those.
In terms of styling, the Bronco takes on a retro-modern look inspired by the first generation version with its boxy-shaped body and rounded headlights. The same goes on the inside which also gets retro design cues with mostly squared-off and rectangular shapes.
Powering the Ford Bronco are options of a 2.3-liter Inline 4-cylinder EcoBoost turbo gasoline engine with 304 horsepower and 441 Nm of torque, or a 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost turbo gasoline engine with 335 horsepower and 563 Nm of torque. Both are mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission.
The Bronco should also be very capable for high-speed off-roading as it comes with an independent front suspension for improved control and comfort, and at the rear a solid axle design featuring coil springs with five locating links delivering both strength and off-road control. An available segment-exclusive semi-active hydraulic stabilizer bar disconnect design also provides maximum articulation and increased ramp angle index for off-camber terrain.
Details are still scarce as to what exactly we can expect from the local-spec Ford Bronco. We also don’t know yet where Ford Philippines plans to import the model from as it could either be from the United States, or even from China where the company already sources the popular Territory compact crossover from.
For now, let’s just wait and see. It shouldn’t take that long anyway.
