Bronco Sport

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

The novel coronavirus pandemic has put the kabash on numerous car shows already, among other things, but that won't stop Ford from showing off its brand new off-road SUV, the Ford Bronco, to a market starving for more information. To say that the Bronco is a big deal for the automaker might be a bit of an understatement - some time ago, Ford's Jim Farley went so far as to remark that the new SUV would help it "reclaim its rightful place as the off-road vehicle leader."

Mind you, Ford has had to delay the Bronco's reveal, canceling the unveiling event it had planned for mid-March, but nonetheless, we should learn all about the new vehicle soon enough.

As Roadshow reports, Ford has committed to a spring reveal for its new Jeep Wrangler rival. That's a bit surprising, foremost because Ford's home state of Michigan is under strict stay-at-home orders to help prevent Covid-19's spread, having one of the highest rates of infection in the US. The Ford Bronco's more diminutive cousin, the Bronco Sport, has seen its big reveal postponed until August as a result.

This means that, most likely, the Bronco will be revealed remotely, possibly with a live-streamed event, much like many automakers were forced to do after Switzerland's 2020 Geneva Motor Show was canceled.

Of course, even with the Ford Bronco's reveal imminent, it's more likely than not that the global pandemic will force the delay of production for the new off-road SUV, as is the case for the new Bronco Sport. The former, based on the mid-size Ranger's full-frame platform, is to be built alongside the pickup truck at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne. At least one of that plant's hourly workers has died after contracting the novel coronavirus.

The 2021 Ford Bronco will mark the return of a legendary nameplate not seen in North America since the mid-'90s, after spending three decades on sale.