- Ford has created a new Bronco Sport exclusively for the Chinese market.
- The super-sized SUV rides on a 116-inch wheelbase and has Lidar Adas.
- A 241 hp, 1.5-liter PHEV and a 271 hp EV are the two models at launch.
Ford has added a third Bronco model to its SUV family, but don’t bother looking for it in your local US showroom. The boxy utility has been developed specifically for the Chinese market and while it looks similar to the Bronco Sport we know, it has some big differences.
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Related: Driver Dips Ford Bronco Sport Into Fresh Concrete And Pays The Price
Those differences include, but don’t end with, what’s under the hood. While Ford has still to grace either of its American Bronco models with any more electric power than is needed to start their combustion engines, the Chinese Bronco New Energy is available as a full EV or with what appears to be either a plug-in hybrid or a range-extender setup. The details aren’t entirely clear, but we’ve reached out to Ford for clarification.
Powertrains With a New Focus
Fully electric versions get a 271 hp (275 Ps / 202 kW) powertrain, while the range extender (or PHEV) version, which appears identical, uses a 1.5-liter plug-in that’s rated at 241 hp (245 Ps / 180 kW). And it sounds like both are front-wheel drive only, whereas all Broncos in the US are all-wheel drive. A 43.7 kWh battery gives the PHEV a huge 137-miles (220 km) range, while the EV’s 105.4 kWh pack can take it 404 miles (650 km), Autohome reports.
Visually, China’s newest Ford clearly takes its lead from the combustion Broncos, which are already sold in China, in particular the Bronco Sport. With its flush door handles you might even mistake it for a facelifted version. But the tape measure tells a different story. Because China’s Bronco is huge.
Sized to Stand Out
The new SUV’s wheelbase is a massive 116.1 inches (2,950 mm), which matches the wheelbase of America’s big Bronco in four-door form, and is way bigger than the 105.1 (2,670 mm) of the current Bronco Sport. When it comes to length the 197.8-inch (5,025 mm) Chinese car outranks both the Bronco (189.4 inches / 4,810 mm) and Bronco Sport (173.4 inches / 4,400 mm).
And it’s the same story with the track, which is wider on the Chinese car than on both US Broncos in stock form (America’s extra-wide Bronco Wildtrak just sneaks its wheels out far enough to take the overall win). Weight? The New Energy comes in at a tubby 5,535 lbs (2,510 kg) in hybrid guise and 5,800 lbs (2,630 kg) as an EV. That compares with just 3,500 lbs (1,590 kg) for the lightest US Sport, while even a Bronco Raptor only weighs 4,945 lbs (2,240 kg).
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Images of the SUV published by China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology show a Lidar sensor on the roof, which is something you won’t yet find on any US-built Ford. Reports from China suggest the Bronco New Energy – a joint project between Ford and Jiangling Motors – will be priced between ¥300-400,000 ($42-56k), meaning it’s more aligned with the Bronco than the smaller Bronco Sport.
Do you think this electrified, extra-large Bronco sport would work in the US? Drop a comment below and give us your opinion.
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