Ford cancels Bronco-based pickup

DETROIT — Ford Motor Co. has scrapped plans to build a pickup version of the Bronco off-road SUV, according to two sources knowledgeable about the decision.

The automaker planned to introduce a Bronco-based pickup in 2024 but in recent months has informed suppliers the program was canceled, the sources told Automotive News. It was to be built at the same plant that assembles as the Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup in Wayne, Mich.

Ford spokesman Mike Levine declined to comment on the company's future product portfolio but noted that "we continue to see strong demand for our full portfolio of rugged trucks and SUVs, including Bronco-brand utilities and our bestselling Ford truck lineup."

The company has never confirmed plans for a Bronco pickup.

The new vehicle would have given Ford three pickups smaller than the F-150 — in addition to the Ranger and upcoming Maverick — and a direct competitor to the Jeep Gladiator. However, it would have greatly overlapped and likely hurt sales of the similarly sized Ranger, which Ford plans to continue investing in with an upcoming 2023 redesign and expected Raptor variant.

Adding what would have been another gasoline-powered entry in its lineup also undermines a company goal: to generate 40 percent of global sales with electric vehicles by 2030, a target Ford announced in May. The company has greatly expanded electrification plans over the past year, including backing a nonbinding federal target of emissions-free vehicles representing half of sales by 2030.

Still, executives have indicated the family will expand beyond the two-door Bronco, four-door Bronco and Bronco Sport crossover offered now. Recent spy photos have shown what appear to be a Bronco performance variant and a potential hybrid model under development.

Early reception to the new vehicles has been positive. Ford has sold 62,820 Bronco Sports and 4,078 Broncos in the U.S. this year through July, though early builds of the Bronco have been plagued by problems with roofs produced by the supplier Webasto.

Ford has sold Bronco pickups in the past.

When the SUV was introduced with the 1966 model year, it came in three body styles, including a "sports utility" that featured a closed cabin with an open bed, with a promotional brochure noting its "double-walled rear area has over 32 cubic feet of space for your camping or other gear."

The "roadster" model also had an open bed with no roof over the cabin and optional rear seats.