The soaring price of diesel is wreaking havoc on the sales of specialist pick-up brands that have anchored their entire presence on these erstwhile popular oil-burning trucks. Of these, Ford is in a unique position – it’s first and foremost a passenger car brand, but it has abandoned its former lineup of hatchbacks, sedans and even SUVs to focus on the Ranger and Everest in Asia Pacific, and it is now paying the price.
An unlikely saviour is set to arrive in the form of the Bronco New Energy (also known as the Bronco Basecamp), which has been confirmed for Australia, CarExpert reports. And apologies, but we’re going to immediately pour cold water on any hope of the pukka Bronco – the boxy, body-on-frame 4×4 everyone associates with the nameplate – ever making it to the region in right-hand-drive form.
Instead, the Bronco New Energy is a unibody SUV originally designed for China and built by JMC, available in both pure electric and range extender versions (hence the New Energy suffix). Sporting a dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain as standard, the electric version produces an impressive 451 PS (332 kW) and 575 Nm of torque, getting it from zero to 100 km/h in 5.3 seconds on its way to a top speed of 170 km/h.
Juicing the motors is a 105.4 kWh LFP battery that delivers a range of up to 650 km on China’s lenient CLTC cycle (expect around 530 km on the WLTP cycle). It will DC fast charge from 30 to 80% in 23 minutes, providing an additional 302 km of range with 20 minutes of charging.
The REEV version tacks on a 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder petrol engine to deliver less power (421 PS or 310 kW) but more torque (600 Nm). That makes it half a second slower to 100 km/h (5.8 seconds), but with a 43.7 kWh battery it can still muster a CLTC-rated pure EV range of 220 km (around 180 km WLTP) – and with a 63 litre fuel tank, it has a total range of up to 1,220 km (around 1,000 km WLTP).
Equipped with conventional double-wishbone front and multilink rear suspension, the Bronco New Energy retains a modicum of off-road capability, with a ground clearance of up to 220 mm, a maximum water wading depth of up to 600 mm, a lockable 50:50 torque split and available locking front and rear differentials. It also comes with up to eight on-road and off-road drive modes and a “Wild Horse” tank turn function.
Measuring 5,025 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,825 mm tall, the Bronco New Energy is 215 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 42 mm taller than even the full-fat Bronco five-door, even though its 2,950 mm wheelbase is exactly the same. That makes the car much bigger than the likes of the Jetour T2, another 4×4-styled SUV.
The Bronco New Energy retains the OG Bronco’s rectilinear design, upright glasshouse and external spare tyre, albeit slightly softer and without the removable doors, windscreen and roof. There’s also a pass-through front “wing” (à la Mazda CX-6e) and flush pop-out door handles to improve aero, and on the EV model, the bonnet opens up to reveal a 160 litre front boot.
Inside, the Bronco New Energy is the prototypical Chinese SUV, with minimal physical switchgear, an 8.8-inch instrument display, a massive 15.6-inch mini LED infotainment touchscreen and dual smartphone holders with a 50-watt Qi wireless charger. There’s also a 70-inch augmented reality head-up display, a 21-speaker, 1,000-watt sound system and built-in DeepSeek generative AI support, all as standard.
You also get powered, heating, ventilated and massaging front seats, as well as a one-touch recline mode and a cooled and heated refrigerator. Ford has also designed this car to be camping-friendly, and to that end the Bronco New Energy’s cabin can be converted to a double bed at the push of a button; there’s even an optional camper van-style pop-up roof that lifts up by 36 cm. The boot measures 497 litres on all variants.
CarExpert says the car is set to be launched in Australia in either late 2026 or early 2027, with pricing understood to range from around AU$48,000 (RM136,700) to just under AU$60,000 (RM170,800). That’s some keen pricing, although another source gave a more sober starting price of AU$55,000 (RM155,800).
The Bronco New Energy’s conversion to right-hand drive opens up the possibility of it coming here – especially as local distributor Sime Darby Auto Connexion (SDAC) desperately needs to diversify its lineup to arrest sliding diesel vehicle sales.
Its pricing won’t be anywhere near as cheap, however, given that the ministry of investment, trade and industry (MITI) has just released a new tax structure that effectively puts a minimum price of RM300,000 for CBU fully-imported EVs. The good news is that Ford is used to selling vehicles at elevated prices, and even a circa-RM300,000 Bronco New Energy would be around the same price as the Everest – all the while offering more space and power, plus the freedom of not having to fuel with diesel.
GALLERY: Ford Bronco New Energy at Auto China 2026
GALLERY: Ford Bronco New Energy official photos
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