2021 Ford Bronco's 7-Speed Manual Transmission Will Have Ultra-Low Crawling Gear: Report

Rumors of the 2021 Ford Bronco featuring a seven-speed manual transmission have been floating around for quite a while, with most of us assuming that the new SUV would be getting seven forward gears. A new report from The Fast Lane Car (TFL) allegedly clarifies that rumor a bit, stating that the Bronco will have a seven-speed manual gearbox, but only six normal gears and one ultra-low-range gear.

Citing unnamed sources, the outlet claims that the seventh gear will be used as a crawler gear for off-roading, which could be similar to the old-school “granny gears” from pickup trucks back in the day, but with modern improvements. The ultra-low-range gear maximizes torque but kills fuel economy, so basically the opposite of the overdrive gears that are found in newer cars. The source also told TFL that the gear may be locked out when the vehicle is in motion or not in four-wheel-drive to prevent accidental shifting. 

It’s important to remember that these are still just rumors for now. As TFL points out, its source has not actually seen the Bronco’s running gear with their own eyes, so there’s a lot of unconfirmed information here. The Bronco was due to be revealed at the 2020 New York International Auto Show, but the event was eventually canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

Even with the official release process up in the air and no solid word on a release date, we shouldn’t have too much longer to find out how true the rumors actually are. It is supposed to be the 2021 Bronco, after all.

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