Ford Motor Company has officially announced last month that it would be launching four new sport utility vehicles (SUVs) in the next four years, which means that the launching could happen anytime from this year until 2020.
However, the American car manufacturer did not disclose the names of the SUVs yet nor did it mention anything about specific release dates of each of the upcoming product offerings.
What Ford said about the new SUVs in its press release is that those upcoming additions to its SUV lineup will be intended for millennials and baby boomers, which account for about 160 million among the world’s population.
Mark LaNeve, Ford Motor Company vice president of marketing, sales, and service, explained during a breakfast meeting last month of the Midwest Automotive Media Association in Chicago that the growth in SUV sales is expected to continue not only in the US but all over the world.
And that is the reason why Ford will be venturing into the segment with four new SUVs in the next four years. LaNeve also said that the American carmaker is currently not competing in the segment.
A long-awaited return
The announcement by Ford Motor Company has sparked speculations that one of those four SUVs might be the long awaited return of the iconic Bronco, last seen 20 years ago, reports Auto Blog.
But it seems that the 2016 Ford Bronco may no longer be one of those as latest reports have it that the American carmaker may launch the vehicle sometime in 2020.
In addition, if Ford will be launching its 2016 Bronco this year, it would have started promotions, controlled leaks, or even test drives of the vehicle by this time. But apparently, none of those are in the cards at the moment so it is becoming clear that 2016 may not be the year when the Bronco will get back on the road again.
However, it is possible that the Bronco may be one of the four SUVs that will be released by Ford Motor Company, but it is not going to be this year so it is not going to be called a 2016 Ford Bronco.
The SUV could be launched anytime from 2017 to 2020 so its name could be any of the following – 2017 Ford Bronco, 2018 Ford Bronco, 2019 Ford Bronco, or 2020 Ford Bronco.
An ambitious bet
Motoring critics also cited the plan of Ford Motor Company as an ambitious bet on a segment of the industry that the carmaker once shunned, cites Auto Blog in another report.
Ford said that the four new SUVs will be new nameplates and that, the company is thinking globally. Therefore, there is a possibility that at least one of the four SUVs might not be a product that is meant for distribution outside of the US.
Many are saying that the return of the Bronco will be a great news for enthusiasts. With the declining fuel prices, now is the best time for Ford to bring back its iconic vehicle brand, which was last seen some 20 years ago being tarnished by the infamous car chase involving O.J. Simpson.
LaNeve also hinted during the same event that one of the four SUVs may be a mini-utility vehicle, which is called as a crossover utility vehicle or CUV in different parts of the world outside of the US. One of those four could be for an overseas distribution, something that Ford has already done with its EcoSport vehicle launched a few years ago in most Asian countries.
While the automaker has been uncharacteristically silent over the incessant reports on the 2016 Ford Bronco since April 2014, it seems that Ford is now being active in providing teasers and providing hints for the rumored 2020 Ford Bronco.
The rumors about the 2016 Ford Bronco only prove that car enthusiasts the world over are almost dying to see what the 21st century Bronco would look like when it finally comes out of the market.