Ford Plans Bronco-Based Pickup Truck to Rival Jeep Gladiator
Ford CEO Jim Farley has made it clear he thinks killing off cars was a mistake. Now, with the death of the Escape, the brand is even short on SUVs, especially affordable ones. Apparently, Ford's solut
August 20, 2026
Industry
Carbuzz
Ford's own CEO has acknowledged that abandoning cars was a mistake, and the Escape's discontinuation leaves the brand thin on affordable SUVs — so the reported answer is yet another truck, this one riding Bronco underpinnings to target the Gladiator's niche. That's a telling strategic choice: rather than filling the SUV gap directly, Ford is doubling down on the body-on-frame, off-road-capable segment where it sees clearer demand and margin. A Bronco pickup makes product-line sense on paper — the Bronco nameplate carries genuine off-road credibility — but it also signals that Ford's path back to volume runs through trucks, not a rethink of its passenger car exit. Whether a Gladiator rival can compensate for the broader affordable-vehicle void is the question the article leaves open.
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Ford Plans Bronco-Based Pickup Truck to Rival Jeep Gladiator