Ford USA - Ranger and Bronco Return?

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https://www.autoevolution.com/news/...ppening-rivals-jeep-wrangler-phev-145113.html

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A Bronco Hybrid was confirmed last year from Ford's Annual Meeting of Shareholders transcript.



https://www.inputmag.com/design/the-2021-ford-bronco-sci-fi-ui-confirms-a-hybrid-model-is-coming

In addition, new videos of the Bronco's instrument cluster reveals EV modes

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You know I was reading some chatter on other website about what Jeep will do to respond to this - V8 this, hybrid that, more trim combination options, etc. The one glaring thing is that the Bronco looks quite a bit more expensive to produce and is being sold at the same price: This leads me to believe that either the Wrangler is overpriced or the Bronco is a loss proposition. I wouldn't bet too strongly against the latter, but at the same time, a base model Wrangler is very basic car that sells for $30k. They've had it so good for so long with no competition...All of that is to say that I think Jeep's easiest path forward to avoid ceding market share is to cut $5k from every Wrangler trim level. Curious to see what happens.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
The one glaring thing is that the Bronco looks quite a bit more expensive to produce
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It might look that way to you, but we really don't know if it is. If it looks more expensive than it is, then that works to Ford's advantage. And a lot of people are going to gravitate to the Bronco because it's the cool new thing. So yeah, Jeep's Wrangler is going to take a hit. At least in the short term. I'm guessing there is going to be a year or so of Ford dealers aggressively price-gouging the Bronco because demand is going to outstrip supply. That will help Jeep as people not willing to pay the markup will head back over their Jeep dealer. Jeep has already responded with a V8 for the Wrangler. I'm hoping they will respond with more variations of the Wrangler, like a 2-door version of the Gladiator. Maybe even bring back the CJ nomenclature. A brand new CJ-3 base model would be very welcome, I think.
 
Eunos_Cosmo
You know I was reading some chatter on other website about what Jeep will do to respond to this - V8 this, hybrid that, more trim combination options, etc. The one glaring thing is that the Bronco looks quite a bit more expensive to produce and is being sold at the same price: This leads me to believe that either the Wrangler is overpriced or the Bronco is a loss proposition. I wouldn't bet too strongly against the latter, but at the same time, a base model Wrangler is very basic car that sells for $30k. They've had it so good for so long with no competition...All of that is to say that I think Jeep's easiest path forward to avoid ceding market share is to cut $5k from every Wrangler trim level. Curious to see what happens.
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I thought it was a well-known truth that Wranglers had a giant ‘Jeep’ premium slapped on the price tag? It’s about the most basic design possible, with just two big girders for a chassis, an engine out of a van, and symmetric axles and suspensions that can be bolted on either end. Body is a basic steel tub, and the roof is made of canvas. It literally has a cheap plastic bare interior as a design feature. There’s no way they couldn’t knock $8k off the base price and still turn a hefty profit. The only more insultingly overpriced vehicle in that class is the Toyota LC70 which has been in production for nearly 40 years yet they have the gall to ask $50k USD for what is ostensibly a simple work/bush/safari vehicle. Along with the LR Defenders sold in the US for a short time in the 90s, which was near as makes no difference twice as much as a comparable Wrangler.
 
Frank McGank
I thought it was a well-known truth that Wranglers had a giant ‘Jeep’ premium slapped on the price tag? It’s about the most basic design possible, with just two big girders for a chassis, an engine out of a van, and symmetric axles and suspensions that can be bolted on either end. Body is a basic steel tub, and the roof is made of canvas. It literally has a cheap plastic bare interior as a design feature. There’s no way they couldn’t knock $8k off the base price and still turn a hefty profit. The only more insultingly overpriced vehicle in that class is the Toyota LC70 which has been in production for nearly 40 years yet they have the gall to ask $50k USD for what is ostensibly a simple work/bush/safari vehicle. Along with the LR Defenders sold in the US for a short time in the 90s, which was near as makes no difference twice as much as a comparable Wrangler.
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The Wrangler isn't that simple, at least not the JL. The older models like a YJ or a TJ weren't exactly cutting edge technology for their day, but modern Wranglers have a bunch of technology stuffed in them. They also don't use an engine out of a van. Yes, they use the 3.6L Pentastar V6, but that's gone in just about everything Chrysler has made since 2011. The 2.0L GME Hurricane is an Alfa engine and the 2.2L JTD is a Fiat design. The 3.0L EcoDiesel was made for the Ram 1500.

Could a Wrangler be cheaper? Ya probably, but it's not like it's grossly inflated. Invoice on a standard one is about $2,000 less than MSRP. Manufacturers just aren't going to tell you what it costs to produce a vehicle because that's bad business. But everything I've ever seen suggests the profit margin on a Wrangler is somewhere around 6%.
 
Joey D
The Wrangler isn't that simple, at least not the JL. The older models like a YJ or a TJ weren't exactly cutting edge technology for their day, but modern Wranglers have a bunch of technology stuffed in them. They also don't use an engine out of a van. Yes, they use the 3.6L Pentastar V6, but that's gone in just about everything Chrysler has made since 2011. The 2.0L GME Hurricane is an Alfa engine and the 2.2L JTD is a Fiat design. The 3.0L EcoDiesel was made for the Ram 1500.

Could a Wrangler be cheaper? Ya probably, but it's not like it's grossly inflated. Invoice on a standard one is about $2,000 less than MSRP. Manufacturers just aren't going to tell you what it costs to produce a vehicle because that's bad business. But everything I've ever seen suggests the profit margin on a Wrangler is somewhere around 6%.
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Then that begs the question on what makes it so bloody expensive to produce. It’s pig iron and straight lines, not a Ferrari. Also, isn’t the profit returns on normal family cars closer to 3-4%? And trucks/pickups around 6-10% depending on options?
 
Frank McGank
Then that begs the question on what makes it so bloody expensive to produce. It’s pig iron and straight lines, not a Ferrari. Also, isn’t the profit returns on normal family cars closer to 3-4%? And trucks/pickups around 6-10% depending on options?
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The UAW certainly doesn't make it cheap. There's also a ton of testing that goes into the Wrangler to ensure it's "Trail Rated". The Wrangler also has higher durability standards to meet because of how it's marketed. If it bent in half as soon as you took it over some rocks, that wouldn't be a good look. So as a result, they have to overbuild certain components on the vehicle, which adds to the price.

Still, a bunch of regular engineering goes into it for safety, on-road performance, and fuel economy.
 
Joey D
The UAW certainly doesn't make it cheap. There's also a ton of testing that goes into the Wrangler to ensure it's "Trail Rated". The Wrangler also has higher durability standards to meet because of how it's marketed. If it bent in half as soon as you took it over some rocks, that wouldn't be a good look. So as a result, they have to overbuild certain components on the vehicle, which adds to the price.

Still, a bunch of regular engineering goes into it for safety, on-road performance, and fuel economy.
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You’d think the ‘trail rated’ stuff is part of the initial development costs, and they don’t seem dramatically over-engineered as compared to say a ½ ton pickup. And you can get one of those for several grand less in work trim. I still mostly believe it’s because Jeep is sort of a lifestyle brand like Harley Davidson. 5% value, 95% markup for the name
 
Bronco with and without Sasquatch pack size comparison IRL

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Next to an old Wrangler

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Next to an F150 Raptor

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https://www.motor1.com/news/435122/ford-bronco-sasquatch-package-comparison/


As a reminder, the Sasquatch pack adds "locking front and rear differentials, the high-clearance suspension with upgraded shocks, beefy 35-inch mud-terrain tires, and high-clearance fender flares to give the tires more room"
 
UGhhh the 2 door Bronco looks soooo good. Look at that profile! :drool: It's honestly one of the best looking new vehicles in years.

Also glad to see that it does not appear bigger than the Wrangler. I suspect the 2-door might even feel a bit smaller. It's no Jimny, but I'll take it.
 
The 2-door with the sasquatch package looks amazing. I may have to risk being ostracized by my family (diehard GM fans) and buy one after they get the inevitable kinks worked out.
 
Crazy how the 2-door Sasquatch Bronco seems to dwarf the standard 4-door in presence alone.
 
I don't like the 2-door...like...at all. I'm not particularly interested in the Sasquatch package either, save for the lockers.

I like the front end and greenhouse styling of the Sport.
 
The Raptor is not a small truck by any means... that 4 door next to it is pretty much the same size!
 
Lift it a hair, offer a single cab 8 foot bed option and call it an F150. I'd buy it.
 
Wait, they're going to make a truck that's based on an SUV that's based on a truck? It seems like it'd just be easier to build a proper off-road version of the Ranger to compete with ZR2 and TRD Pro. The Jeep Gladiator makes sense because FCA or whatever the hell they're called now (Stellaris?) doesn't have a mid-sized truck and the Gladiator fills that void. Ford does have a mid-sized truck though.
 
That also confuses me, I thought Ford would just improve on the Ranger to make it more off-road worthy. Unless they're planning for this Bronco pickup in the Ranger's place in 2025. It definitely would make for a good looking pickup though.
 

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