--- title: "Ford’s Long-Rumored Plug-in Bronco Will Be a European Crossover -Report" date: "2025-12-02" modified: "2025-12-02" authors: - name: "Byron Hurd" job_title: "Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/byron-hurd" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/fords-long-rumored-plug-in-bronco-will-be-a-european-crossover-report" categories: - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Bronco" - "Bronco Sport" - "Ford" - "suv/crossover" --- # Ford’s Long-Rumored Plug-in Bronco Will Be a European Crossover -Report ![2026 Ford Bronco Sport (USA)]() We have the Bronco. We have the Bronco Sport. Soon, there will be a third—a plug-in hybrid model built on yet another architecture, expanding the family to three distinct vehicles. The catch? We won't see it here in America. The plug-in hybrid model will be sold exclusively in Europe—at least for now. This story comes to us [by way of *Automotive News*](), whose report said that the new model would be a "chunky" compact SUV (so, think Bronco Sport) not based on the same platform (so, stop thinking Bronco Sport). In fact, it will be on an even smaller platform than the Ford Kuga (Europe's Escape, on the same platform as the Bronco Sport). This would potentially make it even smaller than Toyota's new mini-off-road [Land Cruiser FJ](), which the company's execs say is [too small for America](). [Adam]() already broke that down for us, so there's no sense in me duplicating his work. Here it is: The Land Cruiser FJ measures 180.1 inches long, which is 13.5 inches longer than a Jeep Renegade, a vehicle that I think everyone can agree was small. [The new RAV4](), which is pretty imposing in person compared to the old one, is merely one or two inches longer than the FJ, depending on trim. And believe it or not, the FJ trounces both in height. At 77.2 inches tall, it’s more than 10 inches higher than a RAV4 without any roof accessories. At 180 inches, the baby FJ is also longer than the two-door Jeep Wrangler (\~171 inches) and Ford Bronco (\~174 inches). Meanwhile, the Bronco Sport checks in at about 173 inches. Whatever Ford of Europe has in mind, it's going to be pretty tiny. Perhaps predictably at this point, there's been no movement on the full-size plug-in Bronco front. Its platform mate, the Ranger, is [offered as a PHEV in Europe](); its chief rival, the Wrangler, has one [here at home](). *Got a news tip? Let us know at tips@thedrive.com!* ## Author Byron is an editor at The Drive with a keen eye for infrastructure, sales and regulatory stories. He brings a light, punchy style to all of his content, believing that there's plenty out there to be laughed at—himself included. Born and raised in Maryland but now based just a stone's throw from Detroit, Byron is an auto enthusiast and generalist who enjoys building and tinkering with things of all kinds, from cars, computers and digital cityscapes, to the new garage that will soon house his fleet (a CT4-V Blackwing, a JK Wrangler and an NA Miata). Inspired by an early love of rollercoasters, Byron quickly caught the high-performance driving itch. He's been tracking and auto-crossing his cars since 2007. In his downtime, Byron enjoys reading, playing city builders, and studying the history of the Motor City. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()