There go all our hopes of seeing a factory-produced V-8 Bronco
by Sidd Dhimaan, onIn all honesty, the 2021 Ford Bronco has ticked all the boxes and it shows how much Ford has worked to make it a purposeful and near-flawless product. However, one thing creating a vacuum is the missing V-8 under the hood. Ford has offered a four-cylinder and a V-6 engine on the Bronco, but not a V-8. Now, the company has answered the question once and for all, and the truth is that there is no V-8 Bronco in the works.
Speaking with Muscle Cars and Trucks, Ford has indirectly laid the final nail in the coffin by saying that a V-8 Bronco is unlikely to happen, thanks to the emission regulations.
No V-8 Is A Big Bummer
Muscle Cars and Trucks spoke to Ford’s Global Program Manager, Jeff Seaman, and Bronco’s Chief Engineer, Eric Loefller, and they’ve noted that a V-8 Bronco is unlikely to happen
. Loefller said the reason behind this is the strict emission regulations. “We have to manage the CO2 implications of the product. The way the federal requirements are now it’s all shadow area (footprint) based. If you look at the shadow area of a small off-road vehicle, it has a pretty high target from a government perspective in terms of CO2,” he said.
He further added that the main customers look for overall horsepower, torque, capability, and fuel economy figures, and not the cylinder count. If the two extra cylinders mattered, Ford would’ve paid the price in emission fines to offer a V-8 under the Bronco’s hood. Jeff Seaman said that the V-6 will match people’s expectations and they won’t be left hunting for more.
“If the customer experience was significantly enhanced with a Coyote engine, it would have been under serious consideration. In all honesty, that EcoBoost motor is damn good and when you get out of it you don’t say, ‘I wish I had a bigger engine.’”
PaxPower To The Rescue With A V-8 Bronco
If you’re someone who believes in “No replacement for displacement”, then here’s some good news for you. Even though Ford has decided not to offer a V-8, an aftermarket company called PaxPower will take care of it for you. Within a week of the Bronco’s launch, the tuner announced that it will offer a 5.0-liter, V-8 Coyote engine for the Bronco. In the F-150, this mill makes 395 horses and 400 pound-feet of torque.
PaxPower has decided to offer it in two iterations.
One is a naturally-aspirated version that makes 400 horses and 400 pound-feet of torque, and the other one is paired to a 2.9-liter supercharger that churns out 758 ponies.
This is a hell lot more than what the standard Bronco’s 2.7-liter, V-6 EcoBoost mill offers in the standard form - 310 horses and 400 pound-feet of torque. The tuner will offer it with the 10-speed automatic gearbox initially, but a manual gearbox could be offered as well. As for the pricing, the 400-horsepower swap will cost around $30,000, whereas the 758-horsepower mill will cost around $45,000.
Jeep Will Be Happy To Hear This
The Bronco-threat to the Wrangler was evident and there wasn’t much that Jeep could do. Ford’s reincarnated product, from what was known about it before its debut, looked to have just one agenda – take on the Wrangler and capture its market share. Ford had an answer to everything that Jeep had to offer and was matched evenly in terms of features and equipment as well.
But Jeep decided to throw a curveball hours before the Bronco was unveiled, perhaps in anticipation of something big from the Bronco and as damage control.
introduce a new Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept that featured a V-8 engine. This took almost everyone by surprise because the Wrangler has never had a V-8 engine, barring the 1981 CJ-7 that came with a 5.0-liter V-8 mill, of course.
Jeep announced that the 392 Concept would be powered by a 6.4-liter, V-8 engine that churns out 450 horses and 450 pound-feet of torque. It would be mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission with a low 3.73 gear ratio, but no manual will be offered. Many commented that this is just a concept, but the SUV was spied in production-spec in Florida soon after it was announced. Now that Ford has brushed its hands off a V-8, Jeep will be pleased. If this 392 brings in big numbers for Jeep, Ford will regret pulling the plug on the Bronco V-8.
Can We Expect A More Powerful Bronco?
To compensate for the V-8, Ford could offer more powerful iterations of the Bronco. Although a power boost to the standard lineup seems unlikely at least for a couple of years after the Bronco hits the roads, the automaker will have powerful versions through the Bronco Raptor and the Bronco Hybrid. Starting with the Bronco Raptor, this tougher version of the standard Bronco will feature a 3.0-liter, V-6 EcoBoost engine from the Explorer ST and Lincoln Aviator. It will churn out 400 horses and 415 pound-feet of torque that will be mated to an automatic gearbox.
Coming to the Bronco Hybrid, a video was uploaded on YouTube back in July and taken down soon after. In one of the frames in that two-minute video was the “EV Coaching” dial along with a “Charge” gauge display, thus confirming a hybrid Bronco. Taking the upcoming Ranger hybrid’s power figures into consideration, the Bronco hybrid could make over 400 horses, probably making it the most powerful Bronco. If true, this could be more powerful than the recently-unveiled Wrangler 4xe hybrid that churns out 375 ponies and 470 pound-feet of torque.
Final Thoughts
The lack of a V-8 engine certainly hurts purists and enthusiasts like us, but from a sales standpoint, Ford would have a better understanding of what serves the best for the company in terms of revenue. The Blue Oval is confident that people won’t miss the V-8 once they drive the V-6, so let’s see how that goes once the Bronco arrives.
What do you have to say about Bronco’s decision to not offer a V-8 under the Bronco’s hood? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below.
Source: Muscle CArs & Trucks
