Ford teases new Bronco and announces 'Baby Bronco' too

New Ford Bronco teaser image (Ford)

It probably won't come as any great shock that Ford is going to be significantly expanding its portfolio of SUVs over the next couple of years, but it certainly shows just how obsessed with SUVs the market has become that the Blue Oval has confirmed it will have no less than eight of them in its lineup by 2020. One of the most eagerly awaited of the upcoming new models is a 21st century reincarnation of the Bronco, and Ford has just released a teaser image of it covered in a sheet. But it now turns out the new Bronco is going to be getting a baby brother too.

Although the Bronco was a purely American icon of its time, the way things are going these days we shouldn't rule out the possibility of it going global at some point. The one thing the teaser image does confirm is the new Bronco will be as square as the original, and that could help it find favor with buyers in Europe now the equally brick-shaped Land Rover Defender is no more.

While the return of the Bronco was confirmed a while ago, not too many people were predicting it getting a baby brother in the next couple of years. The new compact, purpose-built SUV will sit in the range just below the Bronco, and although Ford didn't reveal what it will actually be called, it has released an artist's impression of what it will look like in a red finish.

What we do know about the new small SUV is that it won't be yet another compact "soft-roader" that's squarely aimed at operating exclusively in the urban jungle. The new model will be a true off-roader, and that's because Ford's head of global operations has said the demand for off-road-capable vehicles is growing due to more people now taking part in adventurous outdoor leisure activities.

As well as the new Bronco and "Baby Bronco," it was also announced there will be a hybrid version of the Bronco, a redesigned Explorer, and an all-electric high-performance SUV on the way that's currently being referred to as the Mach 1.