The hovering value of diesel is wreaking havoc on the gross sales of specialist pick-up manufacturers which have anchored their total presence on these erstwhile in style oil-burning vans. Of those, Ford is in a singular place – it’s before everything a passenger automotive model, however it has deserted its former lineup of hatchbacks, sedans and even SUVs to deal with the Ranger and Everest in Asia Pacific, and it’s now paying the worth.
An unlikely saviour is ready to reach within the type of the Bronco New Vitality (also called the Bronco Basecamp), which has been confirmed for Australia, CarExpert reviews. And apologies, however we’re going to right away pour chilly water on any hope of the pukka Bronco – the boxy, body-on-frame 4×4 everybody associates with the nameplate – ever making it to the area in right-hand-drive type.
As a substitute, the Bronco New Vitality is a unibody SUV initially designed for China and constructed by JMC, accessible in each pure electrical and vary extender variations (therefore the New Vitality suffix). Sporting a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain as commonplace, the electrical model produces a powerful 451 PS (332 kW) and 575 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds on its approach to a prime pace of 170 km/h.
Juicing the motors is a 105.4 kWh LFP battery that delivers a spread of as much as 650 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle (anticipate round 530 km on the WLTP cycle). It’s going to DC quick cost from 30 to 80% in 23 minutes, offering an extra 302 km of vary with 20 minutes of charging.
The REEV model tacks on a 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine to ship much less energy (421 PS or 310 kW) however extra torque (600 Nm). That makes it half a second slower to 100 km/h (5.8 seconds), however with a 43.7 kWh battery it could nonetheless muster a CLTC-rated pure EV vary of 220 km (round 180 km WLTP) – and with a 63 litre gasoline tank, it has a complete vary of as much as 1,220 km (round 1,000 km WLTP).
Outfitted with typical double-wishbone entrance and multilink rear suspension, the Bronco New Vitality retains a modicum of off-road functionality, with a floor clearance of as much as 220 mm, a most water wading depth of as much as 600 mm, a lockable 50:50 torque cut up and accessible locking entrance and rear differentials. It additionally comes with as much as eight on-road and off-road drive modes and a “Wild Horse” tank flip operate.
Measuring 5,025 mm lengthy, 1,960 mm extensive and 1,825 mm tall, the Bronco New Vitality is 215 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 42 mm taller than even the full-fat Bronco five-door, regardless that its 2,950 mm wheelbase is precisely the identical. That makes the automotive a lot greater than the likes of the Jetour T2, one other 4×4-styled SUV.
The Bronco New Vitality retains the OG Bronco’s rectilinear design, upright glasshouse and exterior spare tyre, albeit barely softer and with out the detachable doorways, windscreen and roof. There’s additionally a pass-through entrance “wing” (à la Mazda CX-6e) and flush pop-out door handles to enhance aero, and on the EV mannequin, the bonnet opens as much as reveal a 160 litre entrance boot.
Inside, the Bronco New Vitality is the prototypical Chinese language SUV, with minimal bodily switchgear, an 8.8-inch instrument show, a large 15.6-inch mini LED infotainment touchscreen and twin smartphone holders with a 50-watt Qi wi-fi charger. There’s additionally a 70-inch augmented actuality head-up show, a 21-speaker, 1,000-watt sound system and built-in DeepSeek generative AI assist, all as commonplace.
You additionally get powered, heating, ventilated and massaging entrance seats, in addition to a one-touch recline mode and a cooled and heated fridge. Ford has additionally designed this automotive to be camping-friendly, and to that finish the Bronco New Vitality’s cabin could be transformed to a double mattress on the push of a button; there’s even an non-compulsory camper van-style pop-up roof that lifts up by 36 cm. The boot measures 497 litres on all variants.
CarExpert says the automotive is ready to be launched in Australia in both late 2026 or early 2027, with pricing understood to vary from round AU$48,000 (RM136,700) to simply underneath AU$60,000 (RM170,800). That’s some eager pricing, though one other supply gave a extra sober beginning value of AU$55,000 (RM155,800).
The Bronco New Vitality’s conversion to right-hand drive opens up the opportunity of it coming right here – particularly as native distributor Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) desperately must diversify its lineup to arrest sliding diesel car gross sales.
Its pricing gained’t be anyplace close to as low cost, nonetheless, provided that the ministry of funding, commerce and business (MITI) has simply launched a brand new tax construction that successfully places a minimal value of RM300,000 for CBU fully-imported EVs. The excellent news is that Ford is used to promoting automobiles at elevated costs, and even a circa-RM300,000 Bronco New Vitality would solely be barely costlier than the Everest – all of the whereas providing extra space and energy, plus the liberty of not having to gasoline with diesel.
GALLERY: Ford Bronco New Vitality at Auto China 2026
GALLERY: Ford Bronco New Vitality official images
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