Ford’s popular off-roader has been spotted on Australian roads, as the company continues to investigate the possibility of a right-hand drive version for local sale.
A 2023 Ford Bronco was spotted in Victoria – but Ford Australia says there are still no current plans to bring the retro-inspired four-wheel-drive wagon to Australian showrooms.
Spotted by Conduct reader Ric, this left-hand-drive Bronco is a short-wheelbase two-door model, equipped with the optional Sasquatch Off-Road Package and finished in Cyber Orange paint.
A Ford Australia spokesperson said Conduct: “There are no plans to introduce Bronco to Australia.”
The spokesperson said Conduct this Bronco is in the country under “work in progress” in Australia – where it was partially designed – on the T6.2 architecture, which is shared with the Ford Ranger ute and Everest 4WD.
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If it were to come to Australia, the Bronco would likely undergo a local conversion to right-hand drive – rather than the factory built-in right-hand drive – as planned for the American full-size Ford F-150 pickup, expected in the showrooms in Australia later this year.
However, one of the challenges of bringing the Ford Bronco to Australia is its growing popularity in the United States, where it is currently sold out with long wait times for new orders.
The Sasquatch package fitted to the spied car includes 35-inch off-road tires on 17-inch alloy wheels, upgraded 4.7:1 differential ratios, fender flares, front locking differentials and rear and improved off-road suspension.
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This Cyber Orange color was dropped for the 2023 model year in the US, indicating that this particular Bronco spied in Australia is over a year old.
This Ford Bronco also appears to have been tested off-road, judging by the “rash” on the front wheel and the dusty tires.
The new Ford Bronco uses the same Ford-developed T6.2 ladder chassis platform as the Ford Ranger, Ranger Raptor and Everest, the design and testing of which was led by engineers based in Australia.
The Ford Bronco powered by a range of turbocharged petrol engines: a 2.3-litre four-cylinder (223kW/440Nm), a 2.7-litre turbocharged V6 (246kW/562Nm) and, in the Bronco Raptor top of the range, a 3.0 liter V6 biturbo petrol engine (312kW/597Nm) derived from the Australian Ranger Raptor ute.
Unlike the Ford Ranger, the Bronco currently skips a diesel engine option – but hybrid power is expected to arrive at a later date.
MORE:Ford Bronco showroom
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MORE:Ford Bronco showroom
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Sam Purcell has been writing about cars, four-wheel drive and camping since 2013, and has been obsessed with anything that goes brum-brum for longer than he can remember. Sam joined the CarAdvice/Drive team as Off-Road Editor in 2018, having cut his teeth at Unsealed 4X4 and Pat Callinan’s 4X4 Adventures.
Learn more about Sam Purcell
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