BAt the American car manufacturer Ford and its German subsidiary in Cologne, almost nothing stays the way it was. In the future, the brand will be geared more towards adventure and sport, and all conventional vehicles will be phased out. The Mondeo is already gone, the minivans have been eliminated, the end of the classic Fiesta has been announced, and the Focus will not live much longer either.
Ford firmly believes in the new line, and Managing Director Christian Weingärtner says self-critically: “Let’s be honest: we haven’t really stood for anything before.” Models like the muscle car Mustang, the electric Mustang Mach-E, the SUV Puma and Kuga and the Explorer should bring the return that can no longer be achieved with conventional cars. Two electric cars, which are being developed in cooperation with VW and will be built in Cologne, are also being planned.
In-house ten-speed automatic
In addition to the pick-up Ranger, there is also the new Ford Bronco, which will hit the German market next spring. The Bronco is an old-school off-road vehicle, has a lot of tradition (since 1966, the comeback in 2020 after a 25-year break) and maintains it with its angular shape à la Jeep Wrangler. Initially, only the 4.80 meter long four-door will be delivered to Germany. It is available either as a 2.3-liter petrol engine with 304 hp or as a 2.7-liter V6 petrol engine with 335 hp. The latter transmits the power with an in-house ten-speed automatic, which is subject to a surcharge for the four-cylinder. Otherwise, the base Bronco has a seven-speed Getrag automatic transmission.
Traditional charm: the spare wheel hangs at the rear, and like the Wrangler, the tailgate opens to the right.
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Image: Boris Schmidt
All-wheel drive is as natural as a reduction gear, locks are available for a surcharge. The new Ford demonstrated its off-road talents on the first test drives, and the “Trail-Turn-Assist” function is particularly impressive. At the push of a button, the torque on the rear axle is concentrated on one wheel, so you can turn on the spot.
The Ford off-road vehicle is furnished in a rustic, but not without charm, the spare wheel hangs at the rear, as with the Wrangler, the rear door opens to the right, after which the rear window has to be folded up. The trunk has a volume of 1000 liters. The Bronco will surely find its fans, but it remains to be seen whether the path taken without Fiesta and Co is the right one.