2021 Ford Bronco Sport Production Delayed Until September
The Baby Bronco has a new birthdate.
On another timeline, Ford is basking in the afterglow of its twin Bronco debuts over the last few weeks, the latter of which involved a splashy event with the smaller Bronco Sport model at last week's New York Auto Show. But we don't live in that universe—in our world, Ford's much-anticipated SUV launches are among the many events that have been upended by the coronavirus pandemic. The schedule for the bigger truck is still unclear, but a new report from Automotive News indicates the 2021 Bronco Sport will now enter production on September 7, almost two months later than originally planned.
The outlet reportedly got ahold of supplier information confirming the new target date. Instead of reaching dealers in late summer, the 2021 Bronco Sport will reportedly go on sale in the fall. You'll still see it before September—if you don't count the fact that you have seen it already—most likely at the rescheduled New York Auto Show in August.
Mechanically, the 2021 Bronco Sport is expected to share most of its underpinnings with the redesigned, front-drive based 2020 Escape, including its 1.5- and 2.0-liter turbocharged engines. Unlike the Escape or the Bronco Sport's anticipated rival the Jeep Renegade, however, the Bronco Sport will supposedly be produced exclusively with all-wheel drive, giving it a leg up on the Jeep.
The 2021 Bronco Sport isn't the only product pushed back by precautionary COVID-19 containment procedures; Ford CEO Jim Hackett admitted on a call with a Detroit-area radio station in March that the Mustang Mach-E and new F-150 have also been delayed by the pandemic.
"It's had an effect, but it's not going to dampen our spirits about how all these great new things have to come to market," Hackett said, as transcribed by Automotive News. "If they're a month or six weeks late, I don't think anyone would think we fumbled there because of the virus."
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