Ford Australia has announced the Bronco Basecamp will go on-sale locally in the second half of 2027.
Built and developed in China with Ford’s joint venture partner Jiangling Motors (JMC), the Bronco coming to Australia has little more than badges in common with the existing American-market 4WD, which is a rival for the Toyota LandCruiser and Nissan Patrol.
Instead, the monocoque Bronco Basecamp is more like a hard-core take on a Hyundai Palisade or Toyota Kluger alternative with plenty of baked-in adventure goodies – though Ford’s large electrified SUV only seats five.
Electric drive
Powering the Bronco Basecamp is a range-extender hybrid system new to Ford Australia. It is distinctly different to the powertrain in, say, the Denza B5 PHEV, as the Bronco’s petrol engine cannot drive the wheels, serving purely as a generator for the battery.
In China, the Bronco Basecamp allies a 1.5L turbo-petrol four cylinder with an electric motor for 310kW and 600Nm sent to all four wheels, and a 0-100km/h sprint in 5.8 seconds. Australian figures are yet to be locked in.
A large 43.7kWh battery on board means it is good for about 100km of pure battery driving range, with a combined driving range around 800-900km with range-extender assistance, says Ford Australia. The NEDC figure for China’s Bronco EREV is 1150km.
This Bronco won’t be as tough as the US version — or the ladder-framed Everest 4×4 wagon for that matter — it still has some impressive features.
Some trims are equipped with locking differentials, while ground clearance for the China market model is listed at 220mm and approach/departure angles are 30 and 32 degrees, respectively.
Spec and features
The Bronco Basecamp will be a global model, with the pictured white example a right-hand-drive test mule currently being used for tuning and evaluation in Australia. Other centres include the Middle East and Thailand.
Inside the Basecamp is nothing like Ford’s Everest SUV, with a large portrait-oriented touchscreen, minimal physical controls, lush soft-touch materials, a slim digital driver’s display and ambient lighting.
Equipment can include an augmented reality head-up display, fridge, 21-speaker sound system and the pictured pop-up glass roof.
The seats can fold flat for comfortable sleeping inside the vehicle and Ford sells an accessory mattress for ultimate plushness — a bonus is that it leaves the boot space intact to keep your luggage dry.
The swing-out tailgate houses a drop-down table within easy reach of Ford’s ProPower vehicle-to-load (V2L) system that should be ideal for an electric cooktop or coffee machine.
In China an all-electric version is available with 650km (CLTC) driving range and faster 5.3-second 0-100km/h time but this does not appear to be on the cards for Australia.
Pricing for the Bronco Basecamp will be announced closer to its release. We expect a starting number around $60,000, though this could change based on many factors.
