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USA Today: Ford Bronco SUV making slow-speed chase back into lineup


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Like most Toyota vehicles nowadays they're either sold by their reputation for quality (even if actual quality isn't what it used to be) or just brand loyalty. Camry usually comes in dead last in comparison tests but it's still the top seller year in year out.

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Like most Toyota vehicles nowadays they're either sold by their reputation for quality (even if actual quality isn't what it used to be) or just brand loyalty.

 

The actual quality ratings of 4Runner and Tacoma justify their reputations. On iseecars.com's list of the Top 10 Longest Lasting Vehicles, 4Runner and Tacoma were two of the three that weren't full size trucks or SUVs.

 

Newer 4Runners and Tacomas continue to do well in other quality and reliability studies, too.

 

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The actual quality ratings of 4Runner and Tacoma justify their reputations. On iseecars.com's list of the Top 10 Longest Lasting Vehicles, 4Runner and Tacoma were two of the three that weren't full size trucks or SUVs.

 

Newer 4Runners and Tacomas continue to do well in other quality and reliability studies, too.

 

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But they're all rugged, body on frame trucks except for Avalon. And long lasting does not mean no problems. I'd wager that all of the aforementioned body on frame trucks and suvs are merely average in reliability at best when compared with all vehicles. And that goes for any brand.

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Jeep is Jeep so not much you can say except they have done an awesome job marketing and delivering product, no matter how low on the reliability ranking, People want it because it is cool. I don't like Toyota, I think the 4Runner is ugly, and the Tacoma is a weak truck. However, you can spin it or rationalize all you want but Toyota is beating the pants of Ford with the no-show in two of the 'real (or perceived real) off-roader' segments: 4Runner and Tacoma vs. No-show from Ford. Now Toyota has nothing to match the Raptor, but Ford should have had the Bronco ready to go the same-day Toyota announced they were going to dis-continue the FJ. Soon, Jeep will have a Pickup with instant cool factor because it is a Jeep - probably before we see the Ranger!. Ford showed that really cool Bronco concept over 10 years ago. No matter how you see it Ford is way past fashionably late to the profitable party - at the expense of many potential younger customers. All we can say is "better late than never".

Edited by Kev-Mo
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However, you can spin it or rationalize all you want but Toyota is beating the pants of Ford with the no-show in two of the 'real (or perceived real) off-roader' segments: 4Runner and Tacoma vs. No-show from Ford. Now Toyota has nothing to match the Raptor, but Ford should have had the Bronco ready to go the same-day Toyota announced they were going to dis-continue the FJ. Soon, Jeep will have a Pickup with instant cool factor because it is a Jeep - probably before we see the Ranger!. Ford showed that really cool Bronco concept over 10 years ago. No matter how you see it Ford is way past fashionably late to the profitable party - at the expense of many potential younger customers.

 

Nobody said anything differently. It's obvious Ford is late to the party but it's hard to make huge investments in new products like this when you have to contract and completely change your business philosophy to keep from going bankrupt and fix your ailing car business and consolidate redundant platforms AND keep investing in your cash cow F series AND invest in new utilities.

 

It's not like Ford simply chose to ignore those segments on purpose. But in the overall priority something like that would be low on the list compared to the other things Ford has been spending money on lately.

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I think we all know that Bronco is a challenging name to relaunch, not only has it been gone for decades and has never had a consistent brand identity, but it's extremely famous for one reason only....OJ. But at least people recognize the name which is half the battle.

Edited by BORG
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The Bronco brand identity might be stronger than it appears. The Early Bronco has reached true classic and strong pricing status today at auctions and on the market. It's positive exposure is stronger than ever. If it turns out to be a real Wrangler fighter with the same capabilities a lot of folks, particularly Ford folks, who are buying Wranglers because there's nothing else might come aboard.

 

If it's a normal SUV with just the name and some retro styling competing with all the rest, might sell OK but might not too. That won't excite the Early Bronco crowd.

 

I'm just guessing from events and websites there are probably 30,000 real Bronco fans in the USA. The main forum, Classic Broncos, has over 13,000 members. That's just for the 66-77 Broncos. I think the concern would be if these folks accounted for 3,000 new Bronco sales per year, might not be enough. Most Early Bronco owners are not going to get rid of their Early Bronco to buy a new one, so the new one would be an additional daily driver for them. It needs to be appealing to Wrangler buyers and the general public too.

 

I'm sure Ford has crunched all the data!

Edited by fabfordeb
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I think you guys are making this entirely too hard...A good product aimed at its intended market will sell despite its name.

 

Ford's implementation of it should be interesting...and what happened to it back in 2007-08 is still affecting what it is doing today...they focus on core products and now that they are sorted with a refresh cycle going forward, they can start looking at branching out to other projects.

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They've taken care of the high volume products so growth is only going to come from smaller markets and lower volume products which is why it's so important to have more than one product on a platform.

 

Also high performance models commanding premium ATPs and profits.

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Has there been any indication from the guys who work at MAP as to whether or not these "new" models will be updates of the current not-for-sale-here Ranger and Everest or will they be clean sheet designs? The current iteration of the global Ranger has been on the market long enough that it would seem time for a redesign, especially for models that are still a couple of years away. Is it possible that other markets will get all new models before the NA versions go on sale? Any signs that MAP is gearing up for aluminum bodies? EcoBoost? Diesel?

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Has there been any indication from the guys who work at MAP as to whether or not these "new" models will be updates of the current not-for-sale-here Ranger and Everest or will they be clean sheet designs? The current iteration of the global Ranger has been on the market long enough that it would seem time for a redesign, especially for models that are still a couple of years away. Is it possible that other markets will get all new models before the NA versions go on sale? Any signs that MAP is gearing up for aluminum bodies? EcoBoost? Diesel?

None of us have been told a damn thing other than May of 2018 is the end of the Focus and Ranger is happening soon after that, followed by the Bronco.

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The current iteration of the global Ranger has been on the market long enough that it would seem time for a redesign, especially for models that are still a couple of years away.

I agree ! I expect a major re-freshening before Ranger debuts in NA.

 

Is it possible that other markets will get all new models before the NA versions go on sale?

Possible, but, IMHO, not likely.

 

Any signs that MAP is gearing up for aluminum bodies? EcoBoost? Diesel?

Way too early. There was/is some stamping going on next door at WAP, but I am pretty certain it is all steel.

 

The manufacturing process is just being laid out and tooling order. Shut down of the current production is probably over a year away, maybe 2.

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