Ford Bronco Ute Tipped for a 2029 Launch, But Aussie Fans Might Have to Wait

Direct Answer
Ford is reportedly building a Bronco-badged ute for the US market, due by 2029-30, built at a Bronco-exclusive Michigan plant. It isn’t confirmed for Australia, where the Ranger remains the top-selling vehicle.

Key Takeaways:

• Ford insiders told Automotive News a Bronco-based pickup is in the works for the US.
• It’ll reportedly be built at the Michigan Assembly Plant, which currently builds the Ranger and Bronco for the US.
• The plant is tipped to go Bronco-exclusive — no confirmed next-gen US Ranger.
• Would rival the Jeep Gladiator, launching by decade’s end (2029-2030).
• Bronco sold 146,007 units in the US in 2025 — its best year yet — while US Ranger managed 70,960.
• No confirmation for Australia; it’d launch left-hand-drive first.
• Australia is instead getting the China-built Bronco New Energy SUV in 2027.
• The Aussie-market Ranger, built in Thailand/South Africa, has been Australia’s best-selling vehicle for three years running.

AutoAkhbar Desk: Ford’s apparently bringing back an idea it binned a few years back — a proper Bronco-badged ute. According to a fresh report from Automotive News, picked up by outlets across the US and Australia, the Blue Oval is prepping a Bronco pickup for a US launch before 2030, and it could give the Jeep Gladiator a serious run for its money.

What’s the Goss on the Bronco Ute?

Word on the street — well, straight from Ford insiders — is that the Bronco pickup will roll off the line at the Michigan Assembly Plant, the same factory currently cranking out the US-market Ranger and Bronco SUV. The plant is reportedly set to go full Bronco, with no solid plans locked in for a next-gen Ranger to replace it in North America.

This isn’t Ford’s first crack at a Bronco ute either. A similar plan was reportedly shelved back in 2021 when Ford was chasing its (since-abandoned) target of EVs making up 40 per cent of global sales by 2030. Fair to say the Blue Oval’s changed tack since then, with boss Jim Farley talking up a return to “trucks, iconic passion products” as the game plan going forward.

Ford even gave punters a sneak peek of the vibe last year with the one-off Bronco Roadster Concept — doors off, roof off, and the rear seat area chopped into a tray. It’s not a direct preview of the production ute, but it’s a fair hint at the retro, no-frills styling direction.

Why Now? The Numbers Tell the Story

Ford’s Bronco nameplate is on an absolute tear in the US, while the Ranger’s been battling in a tough segment. That gap is reportedly a big reason this ute is back on the cards.

Compare that to the Bronco SUV, which notched up 146,007 sales in the US in 2025 alone — its best year since launching in 2020. Ford’s clearly reckoning the Bronco badge has way more pulling power than the Ranger name Stateside, hence the switcheroo.

Engine Options — What Might Power It?

Nothing’s locked in for the ute specifically, but going by the current Bronco SUV lineup, expect a similar spread:

• Base: 2.3-litre turbo four-cylinder (also does duty in the Ranger Hybrid and VW Amarok sold here)
• Mid: 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6
• Top-shelf: 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 (Bronco Raptor spec) — 312kW and 597Nm, expected/संभावित for a hardcore ute variant

Underpinnings are murkier. The current Bronco rides on the Australian-engineered T6 platform, shared with the Ranger and Everest — but reports suggest Ford’s shelved plans to keep sharing a modular platform across all its pickups, so the ute’s actual bones are still expected/संभावित rather than confirmed.

Also Read : 2028 Ford Fathom Is a $29,945 Electric Truck Worth Waiting For

Will It Ever Come to Australia?

Quick Answer: Not confirmed. It’ll launch left-hand-drive only in the US first, and Ford Australia hasn’t said a word either way.

Here’s the catch for Aussie buyers: the ute is set to launch left-hand-drive initially, and no export plans have been confirmed. Ford Australia has been contacted by media for comment but hasn’t bitten yet. Given the current North American Bronco SUV already misses out on an Aussie launch — thanks to its LHD-only build and thirstier turbo-petrol engines copping local emissions penalties — a straight import of the ute isn’t looking like a slam dunk.

What Australia is getting is the China-built Bronco New Energy, a range-extender hybrid and EV mid-size SUV, tipped for local showrooms in 2027. It’s a completely different animal to the North American off-roaders, so don’t go expecting a hardcore Bronco Raptor on your local dealer floor anytime soon.

AutoAkhbar Verdict

This one’s a genuine sliding-doors moment for Ford’s ute strategy. The Ranger’s been an absolute weapon here in Australia — top-selling new vehicle three years running — so even if the Bronco ute nails it in the US, don’t expect Ford to mess with a winning formula Down Under. Our pick: keep an eye on right-hand-drive tooling decisions over the next couple of years. If Ford builds the Bronco ute anywhere outside Michigan, or greenlights RHD, that’s when this story gets real for Aussie driveways. Until then, it’s a US story worth watching, not a ute worth holding your breath for.

Sources

• Source Name: CarExpert | Source URL: https://www.carexpert.com.au/car-news/ford-bronco-ute-set-to-return-report
• Source Name: Torquecafe | Source URL: https://torquecafe.com/ford-news-bronco-pickup-replacing-ranger-ute/
• Source Name: Canberra Times (via CarsGuide) | Source URL: https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9334160/a-ford-bronco-ute-is-coming-report/

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