As Ford Authority reported way back in July of 2019, a Ford Bronco pickup was expected to join the SUV in The Blue Oval’s lineup at some point in the next few years, possibly 2024. A pickup version of the Ford Bronco made a lot of sense as a direct competitor to the Jeep Gladiator, which is essentially nothing more than a Wrangler with a bed. Ford Authority even rendered two- and four-door versions of the rugged pickup to tide us over until then. However, sources are now telling Automotive News that this future Ford Bronco pickup has been canceled.
Even though Ford never officially confirmed that it was planning to build a Bronco pickup, rumors suggested that it would ride on the same Ford T6 platform as the Bronco SUV and Ford Ranger, and would also be built alongside those models at the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant. Though it would be roughly the same size as the Ranger, a Bronco pickup would provide a distinctly styled, off-road focused, open-air alternative to the more conventional mid-sizer.
Regardless, Ford has been clear that it intends to expand the Bronco family beyond the SUV and the Ford Bronco Sport, and a pickup seemed like a logical addition to the lineup. Ford produced a pickup version of the first-gen Bronco as well – the half cab – though very few were built. But adding a Bronco pickup to its lineup would give Ford three trucks smaller than the Ford F-150 – including the incredibly popular Ford Maverick – which seems a bit redundant.
The new 2023 Ford Ranger is right around the corner as well, and the next-generation Ranger Raptor is expected to be available in North America, which might have presented a bit of an overlap with a Bronco pickup. Throw in the fact that the Bronco SUV is sold out for essentially two years while Ford recently had to push back unscheduled hardtop orders to 2022 because of supplier issues, and this decision makes sense.
We’ll have more on the Bronco very soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Bronco news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
I would love to see a half-cab option and rear seat delete for the 2 door. Doesn’t need huge payload capacity, just a place for messy gear for the two passengers up front (the back seat isnt of much use anyway).
With such a short bed and wheelbase, I don’t see much overlap with Ranger.
Sonofabitch. Dammit, Ford.
Smart! We don’t need a Bronco pickup. Put that money into Ranger and F-150.
Dum ditch the Ranger Raptor and grow the Bronco line with a 2 and 4 door real Off Road Pickup. FORD will sale more BRONCO pickups than Ranger Raptor
Full size bronco is all we need please!
Ford MAVERICK IS AWESOME. What great addition to the FORD lineup.
Sufferin’ Succotash!
I was planning on keeping my new Bronco just long enough to swap for the pickup version. Oh well, has happened to me before when Pontiac cancelled the G8-El Camino – and their intro was going to give one away.
How about a pair of jump seats for the back of my 4 door Bronco – or an honest to goodness “rumble seat”. At this point I would settle for a hardtop. Thinking of scoring a couple sheets of lauan and some plexi and build my own
Seems like all the Broncos y’all can’t get tops for already qualify as a pickup.
BTW, the pictures sure resemble the old International Scout. Should be a few of them still around.
They should worry about getting us the Broncos we have ordered before they consider other models they can’t seem to make on time. Just saying. It’s becoming a joke.
FORD is a truck company build the BRONCO pickup add the generator plug- in, in the bed for people who to camp out in the Wilderness.
Bummer. I think there is room in the truck market for a Bronco pickup and a Ranger. I drive an ’07 Explorer Sport Trac and it co-existed with the earlier generation Ranger just fine. The Ranger is a mid-sized pickup. I envisioned the Bronco pickup as being like the Sport Trac, an SUT, with a smaller bed than the Ranger; a trail-running vehicle with lots of storage space. Ford might have thought it would simply displace Ranger and maybe even some F150 sales, but I think it would have competed more with the new Hummer EV pickup and could have stolen a lot of their sales given the price difference.
Why why why would you do that. Jeeps over there eating our ass with the gladiator and we canceled our competition!?