The New Ford Bronco Has Passed 165,000 Pre-Orders In Just Three Weeks

Reincarnations of retro off-roaders are very in, as you can probably tell by the new Land Rover Defender, the Ineos Grenadier and, well, any Jeep model. The latest to join the fray is the brand-new Ford Bronco, which was well worth the wait - it promises real off-road ability, fantastically chunky looks and hundreds of accessories and optional extras.

It’s only been a month since Ford look the wraps off the new Bronco and Bronco Sport, but the Blue Oval has just confirmed 165,000 pre-orders (and counting). The true number could be even higher than that, as the headline figure was achieved in the first three weeks. If week four has seen the same rate of orders, the total could be 220,000 orders or more.

We should say that this doesn’t necessarily mean all those orders will be followed through on, because a mere $100 refundable deposit is enough to put your name on the list. Those orders are split between the full-size Bronco and the Bronco Sport, too. With that being said, a lengthy waiting time is pretty much inevitable; it’s been suggested that you might have to wait up to 18 months for delivery.

As part of the same press update Ford announced five Bronco concept vehicles, which feature just some of the 200+ optional extras. These will include the normal stuff like roof racks and light bars, plus tube doors, fishing rod holders, lift kits and even axe-holders. Basically, if you’re a fan of crossing rough terrain, this should get you salivating.

And the Bronco will be rather excellent at hardcore off-roading, judging by a couple of new videos posted to the Bronco Nation YouTube channel. We see prototypes climbing over rocks a person would struggle to get over, and making light work of steep descents. It seems like it will be able to do anything a Jeep Wrangler can do, even if the prototypes do pick up a few cosmetic scratches and scrapes along the way.

Bronco enthusiasts have also been calling for more versions to have the option of a seven-speed manual gearbox, while there’s still no sign that it’ll be sold in the UK. Boo.

Is the Ford Bronco the most exciting 4x4 to be revealed this year? Stick a comment below.