Ford F-150 Raptor & Bronco spied in Australia, both a chance for launch

UPDATE: Ford Bronco spied in Australia

A left-hand-drive Ford Bronco has been spotted in Australia again, creating fresh hope that the iconic off-roader might eventually be sold Down Under.

Snapped by Wheels reader Steve Rogers (no, not Captain America), the 'Cyber Orange' Bronco was parked in central Geelong over the weekend and is stickered up as a ‘left-hand-drive engineering evaluation vehicle’.

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Photo: Steve Rogers

This particular Bronco is a short-wheelbase, two-door model and appears to be a Badlands variant fitted with the optional Sasquatch off-road package.

The Sasquatch packs adds several hardcore off-roading extras like larger 35-inch tyres, locking differentials front and rear with a 4.7:1 final drive ratio, Bilstein dampers and flared front quarter panels.

Despite the spot, Ford’s local arm has once again poured cold water on the Bronco’s Aussie prospects – saying that for now at least, it’s still officially off the table.

"We have no plans to introduce Bronco to Australia, and it is not available in right-hand drive," said a Ford Australia spokesperson. "The vehicle spotted is a Ford development vehicle, being used by our Product Development team for ongoing Bronco development work. 

As the engineering lead for vehicles on the T6 platform – including Ranger, Everest and Bronco – Ford Australia played a significant role in developing Bronco."

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Photo: Steve Rogers

That’s not to say it won’t happen in the future, however. Call us eternal optimists – Ford’s official line of “it’s not coming” is pretty clear, after all – but there have been hints that the Blue Oval is still considering it for our market.

Ford president and CEO, Jim Farley, sent tongues waggling late last year, for example, when he went against the company’s previous comments that the Bronco couldn’t be engineered for right-hand-drive production and said:

“We can do Bronco and Bronco Sport for the globe for sure, but we have, like, a year-or-two order bank, so we have a lot of work to do on our capacity before we can even consider something like that.”

Satiating high demand for the American market as a first priority means any official right-hand-drive program is still years away, but Farley’s comments at least show there’s no engineering barrier to producing the Bronco as a right hooker.

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Photo: Steve Rogers

The other option Ford Australia might pursue is to add the Bronco to the right-hand-drive conversion program it is about to commence for the F-150, although that also has long lead times as the company is keen to prove the project’s worth before adding new models.

Plus, while seeing a Bronco is rare, it’s not that usual to see left-hand-drive test mules on our roads given Ford Australia’s position as the lead market for all T6 platform vehicles. Underneath its blocky exterior styling, the Bronco shares its T6.2 platform with the Ford Ranger and COTY-winning Everest.

The story to here

February: New Ford F-150 Raptor spied in Australia

The 2023 Ford F-150 Raptor has been spotted in Australia.

A left-hand-drive prototype was spied parked in Healesville, just outside Melbourne in the Yarra Ranges – but there's still no word on its local prospects.

A spokesperson for Ford Australia said the example was used for comparative purposes with the Ranger Raptor during its development, and has remained in Australia since.

They added there was "no news to share about F-150 Raptor" reaching local shores as part of its factory-backed conversion program.

As reported below, Ford Australia hasn't ruled out the regular, twin-turbo V6 F-150 Raptor – or the Bronco off-roader – however, it remains focused on the launch of the F-150 XLT and Lariat in the second half of this year.

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In December, the brand confirmed additional details about the F-150, which is set to be converted by RMA Automotive in Melbourne.

“When F-150 hits Australian showrooms, customers can rest assured it has been put through the same local durability program as the Ranger and Everest, which, of course, is the same program the left-hand-drive F-150 went through in the States,” said Ford Australia's performance and customisation chief program engineer, Dave Burn.

“We’ve torture-tested, tuned and re-worked the right-hand-drive F-150 so that Aussie customers know they’re getting the full factory F-150 experience. We’re doing everything to make sure the truck will be right at home here in Australia."

Our earlier story, below, continues unchanged.

Jordan Hickey

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April 1, 2022: Ford Bronco and F-150 Raptor possible for Australia

Aussies have been salivating over the prospect of the iconic Ford Bronco and hardcore F-150 Raptor for years, but they’ve long been ‘off limits’ as they’re only built in left-hand-drive.

Now though, the door may be opening slightly for both models to join the Australian range.

Ford’s official line on both models is a hard no, however the recent announcement that the carmaker will import the regular F-150 to Australia in 2023 and convert it locally to right-hand-drive offers the opportunity for other models to undergo a similar process.

The F-150 will be imported in two model grades, the twin-turbo V6 XLT and Lariat, with the conversion work to be carried out by engineering firm RMA Automotive at a facility near Ford’s old Broadmeadows assembly line. They’ll be sold in Ford dealers and carry an official, five-year factory-backed warranty.

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Whether the conversion program will be expanded remains to be seen, although Ford has told Wheels it is open to adding more models.

Ali Jammoul is Ford’s vehicle program director for Ford Performance and Icons, with the Bronco and F-150 falling under the ‘icon’ banner. He understands the importance of the Australian market to Ford globally from a sales and engineering perspective, and he didn’t rule out Bronco heading our way via the RMA arrangement.

“Never say never,” he said. “We have to look at the opportunities. Right now we are so focused and we have to get the Ranger into production, but hey, we’ll evaluate opportunities as they come.

“And like we did with F-150 for example, if the opportunity is there, we can make financial sense out of it, and it’s the right fit in the market strategically, we’ll do it. Right now we have no plans but hey, never say never.”

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While far from a glowing endorsement, Jammoul’s comments may carry some hope for Bronco fans who have previously been told the nameplate had no chance of making its way Down Under, at least not officially. Ford has previously said it doesn’t make financial sense to offer the Bronco in right-hand-drive from the factory, even for 4X4-loving markets like Australia.

Interestingly, the Bronco was partly developed in Australia and it shares a proportion of its underpinnings with the new T6.2 Ford Ranger, which will go on sale this June.

It’s that commonality which originally sparked the hope we might see the Bronco join our line-up, and while it’s still a long-shot of heading our way, it’s good to know Ford hasn’t completely swept it off the table.

There’s the power of customer feedback to consider. One way a brand makes a business case is through market research, so if you want a Bronco or an F-150 Raptor, let your dealer know – and tell us too in the comments below.