The popularity of the Ford Bronco has been well-established. Despite the delivery delays and some production quality issues (all of which is being sorted out), the Blue Oval's latest SUV is already a winner. Jeep has finally been put on notice and possibly even Land Rover, specifically its also-new and highly sought after Defender. The Defender and Bronco appeal to similar but not identical customers, though they share a passion for off-roading.

The former is more premium and, therefore, pricier. It also sports a fixed-roof design, whereas the Bronco is currently only available with removable hardtop or soft top. But could Ford introduce a more upscale Bronco with a fixed roof design to take direct aim at the Defender?

Speaking to Ford Authority, Bronco chief engineer Eric Loeffler wouldn't rule it out though it's not currently in the pipeline. "Will someone in the aftermarket do it? Maybe," he said. "But generally speaking, we think that most people will want to be running around with the top off. But if we get customer demand for it over the next couple of years, then we'll consider it."

Quite frankly, it wouldn't be difficult in the least for Ford to make this body style a reality. There's no way of knowing how much it could potentially sell for, but we imagine it'd undercut the Defender's $50,000 or so base price by a couple of grand.

Something else the Defender has and the Bronco currently lacks is a V8 engine option. The upcoming Bronco Warthog hardcore off-roader won't come with eight cylinders but rather the twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost V6 with as much as 400 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque.

To compare, the Defender V8 boasts 518 hp and 461 lb-ft of twist. Both SUVs are available in two- and four-door configurations. There are all kinds of interesting possibilities regarding the Bronco's future and it's clear Ford is very open to them. If there's a business case to be made, whether it's for a fixed-roof variant or something else completely different, it's fair to say Ford will likely pursue it.