Glimmer of hope? Ford Bronco could have a right-hooking future

Ford has opened the door for the Bronco to become available with right-hand-drive despite being very much focused on North America and therefore left-hand-drive markets.

Last year, a leaked product presentation slide emerged claiming that the Bronco, then still not launched, would, in addition to the States, launch in the Middle East and Africa, which ignited speculation of a possible South African market debut. This was subsequently quelled by Ford Motor Company Southern Africa Managing Director Neale Hill, who told The Citizen on the side-lines of the updated Mustang launch that the Bronco would remain a left-hand-drive only model.

“Naturally there is always interested products like that. If we could get them, we would certainly explore them, but the way the Bronco programme has been set-up right now is that it is a left-hand-drive product aimed at the North American market for now,” Hill said.

In an interview with the FordAuthority online forum though, Bronco and Bronco Sport Chief Designer, Paul Wraith, stated that right-hand-drive availability was taken into consideration during the former’s development and that executing it won’t be a difficult.

“We did look at right hand drive, and Bronco is intensely famous here in the U.S. but it’s pretty famous, or at least it was famous, elsewhere in the world. We’re always open to do all sorts of things in the future, but right now, we’re left hand drive focused. Underneath the Bronco is its closest cousin – if you will – the Ranger… so the platform is capable of right hand drive,” Wraith said in reference to the Bronco using the same T6 architecture as not only the Ranger, but also the Everest.

Despite Wraith’s comments, the Bronco, if ultimately approved for right hooking markets, is unlikely to arrive next year or even in 2022 based on the backlog currently experienced in North America where sales have topped 230 000 units in spite of production having not even started.

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