Car News

Ford Bronco to Spawn Jeep Gladiator Competitor

The Jeep Gladiator has barely reached the marketplace and Ford is already reported to be planning a new pickup to go toe-to-toe with it.

That forthcoming Ford pickup will also be based on a rugged SUV – the reborn Bronco that's set to debut next year as a 2021 model.

Citing the industry insiders at AutoForecast Solutions, Automobile Magazine says Ford's as-yet-unnamed new pickup would hit the streets five years from now, in July 2024. We're curious to see how accurate that prediction is.

We're not prepared to make any predictions of our own about the future truck's makeup; after all, Ford hasn't even confirmed what engine will power the Bronco (although we have a good idea). But a new pickup makes sense given Ford's truck-forward intentions for the near future, which apparently include adding a compact Focus-based pickup to its lineup in a couple of years.

All of this compact/mid-size truck excitement (which started when GM redesigned its Colorado/Canyon trucks in 2015) also has Fiat Chrysler Automobiles thinking about how it can capitalize with a future truck slotting below its full-size Ram 1500.