When the sixth-generation Ford Bronco debuted for the 2021 model year, it did so to tremendous consumer interest and demand – not terribly surprising for a model that fans had been asking the automaker to bring back for a quarter-century. Given the fact that it launched smack in the middle of the pandemic, it was also no surprise that the new Bronco was in short supply and high demand for some time. However, things have since normalized with production catching up with demand, leading to a lull in sales, though it doesn’t seem as if Ford dealers are worried about the Bronco one bit.
According to Automotive News, dealers see this dip in Bronco sales as a normalizing in terms of supply and demand after many customers waited years to take delivery of their new SUV when it launched in 2021. Lulls continued through 2023 amid various supplier constraints and other issues, which culminated with the UAW strike last fall. Now that things have finally stabilized, inventory turns have slowed and transaction pricing is actually averaging a bit less than MSRP, which is good news for customers. At the same time, dealers seem to be unbothered by the trend, though they’re also calling for lower priced trims to help drum up additional sales. “I’m not worried at all,” said Nick Anderson, general manager of Chuck Anderson Ford in Missouri. “If Ford called me today and offered me 10 more, I’d take them.”
Last month, Ford Bronco sales decreased 19.84 percent to 7,762 units versus 9,683 in September 2023, and are also down 15.87 percent year-to-date at 76,948 sales versus 91,468 through the first nine months of 2023. Making matters worse, the Bronco also trailed a pair of rivals – the Jeep Wrangler and Toyota 4Runner – through the first half of the year, though of that group, only the 4Runner posted a sales increase in that same period. In the first half of the year, the Wrangler led the pack with a 40 percent share of the mid-size off-road SUV segment, followed by the 4Runner at 33 percent and the Bronco at 27 percent.
New Ford inventory levels, in general, have remained far above the industry average through much of the 2024 calendar year, but it isn’t alone in that regard – rather, most Stellantis brands are facing an even higher inventory glut, which recently prompted the automaker to cut back its Jeep production, specifically. Meanwhile, after cutting the entry-level Base Bronco for the 2024 model year, Ford is bringing it back for 2025, giving shoppers a more affordable option.
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I see 20x more Wranglers than these.