GM Says Gas-Powered Ford Bronco Rival Isn’t Going to Happen
GM President Mark Reuss wouldn’t rule out an electric 4×4, though.
The Ford Bronco has generated a ton of buzz for the Blue Oval automaker since it was unveiled in July 2020. Sales are catching up to the Jeep Wrangler and more trims have been released since the truck's launch, but General Motors, the third member of the Big Three, has had little to say in response. As it turns out, that's intentional according to GM President Mark Reuss.
"I'm not gonna do a Bronco," Reuss told The Drive, speaking during an interview at the 24 Hours of Daytona. At least, not one powered by an internal combustion engine. There are a few reasons for that.
The first is simple. Reuss explained that he doesn't want to be "late to the party." Doing a Bronco competitor now would put the brand plumb last in bringing a two-row, body-on-frame 4x4 to the market. The second has to do with emissions. Reuss claimed that Ford has to sell trucks like the Maverick as a hybrid because doing so many cars powered by internal combustion hurts Ford's corporate average fuel economy. He doesn't want to move backward in that regard.
Reuss did not deny the possibility of GM making an electric vehicle like the Bronco in the future, however. When I asked if he was against building such a 4x4 with battery power, he replied, "I didn't say that." Indeed, with the modular underpinnings of GM's Ultium EV platform and the success of electric off-roaders like the Hummer EV, that's more likely. There are even rumors a smaller Hummer EV is on the way.
In the end, though, executives are always cagey when talking about future products. Plus, GM is just hitting its stride in producing a fresh lineup of new BEVs. It's possible an electric Bronco competitor could be right around the corner, sure, but the Blazer name—historically associated with a body-on-frame 4x4—has already been used on an EV that's decidedly unlike its predecessors. So if one does arrive, it won't be soon and it won't be called the Blazer. That doesn't mean it isn't on the table.
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