Plunging sales demand convinced the Ford executives to slow down the Bronco production. The model is lagging behind its main competitor, the Jeep Wrangler, and FoMoCo needs to rethink its strategy.
Ford reduced the production of the Ford F-150 Lightning in January 2024 amid EV sales demand meltdown and made the ICE models a priority. Back then, the automaker decided to dislocate a shift from the EV's production and relocate it to that of the Bronco in an attempt to keep up with the demand for the ICE-powered SUV. Ford was counting on the Bronco to keep up with Jeep's Wrangler.
Ford is now trying to boost the sixth-generation Bronco sales by reintroducing the entry-level Base trim for the 2025 model year, but it has yet to see if the strategy works. Riding on classic wheels and sporting reduced equipment, the Bronco Base, which disappeared from the 2024 lineup, will make a comeback next year, starting at $37,995.
However, even the entry-level version will get the 12-inch digital instrument cluster, which was previously available only for the top-of-the-line Bronco Raptor.
The automaker is trying to be prepared for the worst and reduce the Bronco production, affecting 400 workers, despite maintaining the three-crew production schedule. All of them will be reassigned to the Dearborn Engine Plant and Monro Parts Depot in the first quarter of 2025, as reported by Automotive News.
Photo: Ford
The employees found out about the change through a memo that the brand’s executives sent. None of them will be laid off. It is yet unclear how long they will remain there or if they will ever return to the Bronco assembly line. Due to slow demand, Stellantis adopted a more aggressive stragegy to cut cost by cutting approximately 1,000 jobs.
Furthermore, the Ford plant in Michigan will shut down for the first two weeks of January to prepare for the 2025 model year of the off-road-focused vehicle. However, this pause in production is not unusual when shifting from one model year to the next. The facility in Michigan also manufactures the Ranger pickup truck. The center currently employs 5,900 workers.
The smaller Bronco Sport models see the light of day at Ford's Hermosillo Stamping and Assembly Plant in Mexico. The production of the Sport version will not be affected.
Ford did not expect to see the Bronco sales drop by 15.9% through the first three quarters of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023. The automaker sold 76,948 examples from January to September, while the Wrangler moved 113,078 units during the same period, despite an 11% decline.
Reducing costs will help Ford offer a 2025 lineup at no extra costs despite the fresh equipment and technology fitted on board.
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