Ford Just Put All Midsize Trucks On Notice
Ford has locked in a 2027 arrival for a hybrid Bronco, and for anyone currently standing in a dealership weighing whether to sign or wait, that date is specific enough to matter. The electrified variant will arrive as part of a mid-cycle refresh — not an all-new generation — meaning the platform carries forward with hybrid hardware added to the mix.
But the hybrid isn’t even the biggest news in the room. Buried in the same Automotive News report is the confirmation enthusiasts have been waiting on since the modern Bronco returned in 2021: a Bronco pickup is coming, targeting a launch near the end of the decade. Ford is building a two-product family, and the Jeep Gladiator’s long run as the only body-on-frame off-road pickup in the segment is about to get complicated.
CEO Jim Farley Made The Hybrid Promise — Now There’s A Date On It
The hybrid Bronco has been telegraphed for years. When the reborn Bronco was revealed in July 2020, then-CEO Jim Hackett told shareholders Ford would add hybrid systems to high-volume profitable vehicles, Bronco included. Leaked Sync software from that same period showed an embedded EV Coaching feature — a clear signal that electrification was baked into the long-term plan from day one.
What’s changed is the timeline is now concrete. In a March 2026 appearance on Spike’s Car Radio podcast, current CEO Jim Farley was direct: “We’re going to have an all-hybrid lineup. So Bronco, everything you can buy at Ford will have a hybrid.” That was a strategic pledge. The 2027 date turns it into a shopping decision.
Ford has not confirmed powertrain specs — engine displacement, electric motor output, and fuel economy targets are all still unannounced. What Farley has publicly hinted at is Pro Power Onboard capability accompanying the hybrid system, letting drivers run tools or camp gear off the truck’s battery. That feature already exists on the F-150 hybrid and would be a natural fit for the Bronco’s overlanding crowd. Ford also sells a plug-in hybrid Ranger in international markets using the same turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that powers the U.S. Bronco — which gives some indication of the direction, without confirming it.
The Bronco Pickup Is Real — And Michigan Assembly Is Already Being Cleared For It
The pickup confirmation is the headline underneath the headline. Automotive News, citing people with knowledge of Ford’s product plans, reports the Bronco-based Truck is targeting a launch around 2030, built at Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne — the same facility that currently produces the Bronco SUV alongside the Ranger. The Ranger is expected to shift to Ford’s Tennessee facility around 2029, freeing Michigan Assembly to become a dedicated Bronco family hub.
This isn’t a brand-new idea for the nameplate, either. The original Bronco launched in 1966 as a Roadster, a full-length Wagon, and a short-roof open-bed variant that eventually became known as the Bronco Half Cab — complete with four-wheel drive and an optional 289-cubic-inch V8. It disappeared after the 1972 model year. A Bronco pickup in 2030 is less a bold new spinoff than a long-overdue return.
Ford’s official response to the Automotive News reporting was a non-denial denial. Spokesperson Mike Levine confirmed that Ford is “focused on delivering a massive product renewal that will refresh 80% of our North American portfolio by volume by 2029” — but declined to address the Bronco pickup specifically. The company’s silence on the detail is telling.
The 2027 hybrid shifts the math for current shoppers, but it doesn’t automatically make waiting the right call. A mid-cycle refresh typically brings updated pricing and new features — which can soften residual values on pre-refresh inventory sitting on lots today. If fuel economy or Pro Power Onboard capability matters to your use case, the wait is measured in roughly a model year, not years.
Ford has not confirmed which body styles — two-door, four-door, or both — will receive the hybrid powertrain, and pricing remains unannounced. Current Bronco trims, from the base two-door through the Wildtrak and Raptor, remain strong performers with no confirmed discontinuation. For buyers who primarily use a Bronco for weekend trail work, the powertrain difference may matter less than the cost of waiting.
The pickup is a different calculation entirely. A 2030 target is a years-long horizon. The Jeep Gladiator — which starts around $37,895, carries up to 4,500 pounds, and brings Wrangler-grade removable doors and roof to a truck with a proper bed — has owned this niche unopposed since 2019. Gladiator sales dropped roughly 25% in the first half of this year, while the Bronco moved 146,007 units in 2025, a 34% jump over 2024. Ford isn’t chasing a struggling segment; it’s chasing a rival that’s lost altitude while the Bronco nameplate is at peak strength. Gearheads who’ve been holding out specifically for a Bronco truck should know the wait is real — but so is the truck.
Ford is turning the Bronco from a single body-style nameplate into a full family — hybrid SUVs by 2027, pickup by 2030, and reportedly a Bronco-based Lincoln luxury off-roader in the pipeline as well. The playbook is exactly what Jeep runs with Wrangler and Gladiator, and it’s working. Let’s just hope Ford keeps the removable doors.
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