The Ford Bronco’s herd may be growing. Automotive News reports that Ford will be adding a hybrid powertrain and a pickup to the lineup before the end of the decade.
Sources told the outlet that the hybrid may arrive as early as 2027 as a 2028 model. Ford CEO Jim Farley has previously said that all of its vehicle lines, including Bronco, will have hybrids by the end of the decade.
The Bronco Sport shares its platform with the Maverick pickup, which is current available with a hybrid, while the Bronco is related to the Ranger pickup that it is built alongside in Michigan.
Ford sells a plug-in hybrid version of the Ranger in other countries, with a powertrain based around the turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder that comes standard in the U.S. model, while the American market F-150 PowerBoost hybrid uses a turbocharged 3.5-liter V6. Along with improved efficiency, the hybrid setup allows for the inclusion of Ford’s Pro Power Onboard, which uses the powertrain as an on-site generator.
The Bronco pickup adds another twist to the Ranger connection. The report pegs its arrival later in the decade, which could sync up with the Bronco’s first significant redesign since it launched for the 2021 model year. Ford released a sketch of a Bronco pickup back then, which we’ve rendered into a more realistic looking image.
While it seems likely that such a model would be positioned against the Jeep Wrangler-based Gladiator as a lifestyle off-road offering, there is also the possibility that it would replace the Ranger outright. The Ranger trails its competition from GM and Toyota by wide margins on the sales charts and hasn’t been gaining much steam since it’s 2024 update. Ford delivered 34,069 in the first half of 2026, compared to 47,693 Chevrolet Colorados and 143,849 Toyota Tacomas. Farley’s recent mantra has been “no boring vehicles” so a shift to the Bronco identity for the midsize pickup class would fit that bill. It’s worth noting that the Toyota Tacoma and popular 4Runner SUV are also built on a shared platform.
The Bronco pickup and hybrid news comes just after Automotive News reported that a Bronco-based Lincoln is also in the works for a debut this decade. The luxury off-roader would compete with the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.
Ford’s response to the Automotive News reports is that “we are not going to comment on future product speculation, much of which is inaccurate.”
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