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Alleged Ford designer says Bronco will be an Everest, 10-speed auto possible for Ranger

Hopes that the 2020 Ford Bronco would revive the design of the model that ended production in 1996 have, potentially, been dashed by a person who claims to be a Ford designer.


The person stated on a Reddit Ask Me Anything session that the new Bronco "will be very similar to the current Ford Everest" and will have four passenger doors, unlike earlier Bronco models, which had two.

He later went further, saying that the Bronco "will essentially be a rebadged Everest but there will be differences".


Above: Previous-generation Ford Bronco, circa 1996.

These statements were made by a person claiming to be a Ford designer at the company's Product Development Center in Dearborn, Michigan. According to one of the moderators of the Ford Ranger subreddit, "[The original poster] first contacted our mod team, we asked for some type of proof and he provided us with his facility identification card, signature, and date".

In addition, this person claimed that the Ranger that's due to arrive on the American market in 2019 will be an update to the ute that's currently available in most other markets, including Australia.

The designer said that the Ranger will be available Stateside in both Supercab and double cab body styles, but that the single cab wouldn't be offered due to low demand.

He also stated that design team has been given limited latitude in the changes they can make to the Ranger's design, with only modifications to "headlights, grille, and front fascia" approved, meaning that the "main body of it will look identical to what it is now".

Apparently the design team is "working on a few different designs for market testing" and one of them "does resemble the F-150 [facelift]".


Above: Latest Ford F-150 facelift.

There will also apparently be updates to the Ranger's drivetrain, including the possibility of new transmissions. When asked if a eight- or nine-speed auto might be on the menu, the poster claimed, "They're kind of erring towards a ten-speed, actually".

It's not clear if these engineering and styling changes will be limited to the North American market, or whether it will be used on the global version of the Ranger.

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