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Simmy

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https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2020/06/10/ford-bronco-fca-jeep-wrangler/5332569002/

Ford predicts new Bronco will eat Jeep's lunch, lure customers from FCA

While "Jeep dominates" the popular off-road vehicle market, Ford Motor Co. is strategically planning to steal customers from Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Jim Farley, chief operating officer, told Wall Street analysts Wednesday.

Target: Jeep Wrangler buyers.

Ford has kept hidden the design of its upcoming new model. However, the company has indicated that the Bronco R, a racing prototype already unveiled, hints at the design of the upcoming Bronco.

"This is our opportunity," Farley said at the 2020 Global Auto Industry Conference hosted by Deutsche Bank.

"Ford has proven credibility in the off-road space," he said.

The Dearborn automaker recently announced plans to unveil the new Bronco in July.

"The Bronco lineup has big upside potential in a growing off-road category," Farley said. "Jeep dominates and accounts for a significant portion of FCA’s revenue and global profit."

Ford built the popular mid-size SUV from 1966 to 1996. Collectors of the Bronco have pleaded with Ford to make a return.

"Ford has proven credibility in the off-road space with Raptor now in both F-150 and Ranger and people love it," Farley said. "We're already the No. 1 cross-shopped brand with Jeep. And Bronco is an iconic and beloved franchise. We will soon introduce what we believe is a much superior product."

While some Jeep owners drive off-road with their Jeep Cherokee and Grand Cherokee, Jeep fans widely regard the Wrangler as the primary vehicle for rock climbing and other off-road adventures such as rock crawling.

"Jeep Wrangler has long been dominant and pretty much alone in its category," said Michelle Krebs, executive analyst at Cox Automotive. "Every automaker has eyed how to chip away at Wrangler, including Ford with the Bronco."

A spokesperson at Fiat Chrysler declined to comment.

The Bronco, which will be assembled at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, will go on sale next year. Ford will offer it in a two-door and four-door version.

Jonathan Klinger, vice president at Traverse City-based Hagerty, the world's largest insurer of collector vehicles, said, "In the current collector car market, the Ford Bronco has absolutely led the way in the demand for vintage SUVs among Gen X and younger enthusiasts. They're also interested in a modern vehicle that has the capability of exploring two-track dirt roads off the beaten path, a vehicle that's equally at home on the interstate."
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aman43

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ford has to be careful. Unless there is some secret tech that allows it to actually compete with the wrangler at rock crawling. The front solid axle jeep will always win. does not make sense to boast about its off road capability unless it can actually compete and win. Without solid axles it cant , at least with major off road enthusiasts who will line up to trash it day 1. Only way ford can avoid this is if they teamed up with a 3rd party day one for a add on axle kit.

Where ford is going to win $$$ wise is if they give people a dependable open air recreation vehicle that doesnt drive like shit on the road and have terrible gas milage. People buy jeeps because you can take the roof off. Period. Its a beach car. A party car. A fun car.

If they put a v8 in said recreational vehicle it will be curtains for the jeep brand as they have nowhere to go but to completely and totally rebuild the vehicle down to every screw and wire.
 
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Sherminiator

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ford has to be careful. Unless there is some secret tech that allows it to actually compete with the wrangler at rock crawling. The front solid axle jeep will always win. does not make sense to boast about its off road capability unless it can actually compete and win. Without solid axles it cant , at least with major off road enthusiasts who will line up to trash it day 1. Only way ford can avoid this is if they teamed up with a 3rd party day one for a add on axle kit.
Why would Ford "handicap" a vehicle to appeal to less then maybe 10% of the market?

The Bronco isn't a Wrangler clone-its going to be its own thing that happens to overlap with the Wrangler, which most of them are just fancy looking mall cruisers that drive like shit.
 

aman43

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Why would Ford "handicap" a vehicle to appeal to less then maybe 10% of the market?

The Bronco isn't a Wrangler clone-its going to be its own thing that happens to overlap with the Wrangler, which most of them are just fancy looking mall cruisers that drive like shit.
I am in total agreement with you. I was referring to the fact that ford is trying to push this offroad image of the vehicle and it can "eat jeeps lunch"

Many jeep fans will laugh at this simply because a factory jeep with solid axles is immediately more capable than any IFS factory car.

Will the bronco eat jeeps lunch in sales? if its prices well it will destroy it completely and jeep will be in a position to have to likely redesign the wrangler or make a IFS open air vehicle (what they should have done with the renegade but didnt). However ford has to be careful about boasting its offroad chops when there will be 10 million youtube videos of them getting their teeth kicked in on offroad trails and rock crawls by the wrangler.


Like i said. Only way ford can confidently say it can beat the jeep is if day one there are solid front axle kits and they mention them by name during the reveal.

from a sales perspective there is no reason to put front axles in the car. Its a worse ride and worse handling. Only benefit is 1% offroaders who like risking tipping their 30,000+ dollar toy over during the weekend.
 
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BAUS67

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I am in total agreement with you. I was referring to the fact that ford is trying to push this offroad image of the vehicle and it can "eat jeeps lunch"

Many jeep fans will laugh at this simply because a factory jeep with solid axles is immediately more capable than any IFS factory car.

Will the bronco eat jeeps lunch in sales? if its prices well it will destroy it completely and jeep will be in a position to have to likely redesign the wrangler or make a IFS open air vehicle (what they should have done with the renegade but didnt). However ford has to be careful about boasting its offroad chops when there will be 10 million youtube videos of them getting their teeth kicked in on offroad trails and rock crawls by the wrangler.


Like i said. Only way ford can confidently say it can beat the jeep is if day one there are solid front axle kits and they mention them by name during the reveal.

from a sales perspective there is no reason to put front axles in the car. Its a worse ride and worse handling. Only benefit is 1% offroaders who like risking tipping their 30,000+ dollar toy over during the weekend.
Which brings me to my point. If they make a SFA / Warthog thing then it should be on the lower end price wise don't need as much tech. Let the Braptor be 60K so you can go high speed off road with all the gadgets.
 

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Many jeep fans hardcore jeep enthusiasts will laugh at this simply because a factory jeep with solid axles is immediately more capable than any IFS factory car.
Fixed it for you, a high percentage of the non-hardcore jeep enthusiasts, the jeep fans, don't know or don't care about solid axles (except when they get death wobble).

Take them on a test drive in a competitive vehicle with a better ride and a high percentage of them will buy the Bronco.

I know of several hardcore jeep enthusiasts, they are chomping at the bit to trade in their Jeep for a Bronco.
 
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BAUS67

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RockEye

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Fixed it for you, a high percentage of the non-hardcore jeep enthusiasts, the jeep fans, don't know or don't care about solid axles (except when they get death wobble).

Take them on a test drive in a competitive vehicle with a better ride and a high percentage of them will buy the Bronco.

I know of several hardcore jeep enthusiasts, they are chomping at the bit to trade in their Jeep for a Bronco.
That's the way I've been thinking also. Maybe 10% of the Jeep owners modify their vehicle beyond wheels and tires. And maybe 5% at best actually offroad them. Most of the modded one's will never see anything beyond a dirt road. And the majority of the country does not have terrain where a solid axle is even needed. I've wanted a Jeep ever since I sold my Bronco years ago but every time I test drive one I leave without it. It feels like junk on the road.

Now we can spin the offroad competition argument around and compare the Jeep to the Bronco in a high speed offroad capacity and the Jeep will fail in comparison. It's better for rock crawling and a lesser vehicle in every other way.

I took my FJ Cruiser to Moab and did some trails. It had IFS and I could keep up with any Jeep on the trails that we did. I'm more interested in exploring long distances. When it takes 5 hours to go 5 miles on a trail I could have walked it faster; boring.
 

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That's the way I've been thinking also. Maybe 10% of the Jeep owners modify their vehicle beyond wheels and tires. And maybe 5% at best actually offroad them. Most of the modded one's will never see anything beyond a dirt road. And the majority of the country does not have terrain where a solid axle is even needed. I've wanted a Jeep ever since I sold my Bronco years ago but every time I test drive one I leave without it. It feels like junk on the road.
That is my point exactly-the Bronco is going to be a more civilized Wrangler that can do 95% of what it can do offroad, but be far superior on the road, which 99% of newly bought cars are operated all the time.
 

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Still can’t see the thought in why jeep wants them gone. Different market, different size, Mahindra holds legal documents........ wasting their time there, should just sponsor them and make a full on tiny jeep.
The US legal system might not see it that way because its Jeep's home market, but a more neutral system wouldn't. I'm still not sure how they can trademark styling cues (outside of maybe a grill).

Also Mahindra could also put the screws to Jeep in India if they wanted to,which I'm sure would go in their favor.
 

The Pope

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The US legal system might not see it that way because its Jeep's home market, but a more neutral system wouldn't. I'm still not sure how they can trademark styling cues (outside of maybe a grill).

Also Mahindra could also put the screws to Jeep in India if they wanted to,which I'm sure would go in their favor.
They can"t use the Grill, as they have already lost that court battle against HUMMER.
 
 


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