Report: 2021 Ford Bronco Will Be Available with a Manual Transmission and 33-Inch Off-Road Tires

The Bronco is looking more and more like a direct Jeep Wrangler competitor

2021 ford bronco raptor
2021 Ford Bronco : early prototype

A most recent report from a Ford dealership suggests that the long-anticipated 2021 Ford Bronco will offer a choice of manual or automatic transmissions, and it will roll on 33-inch off-road tires with 17-inch wheels. It appears that Ford has the Jeep Wrangler squarely in its sights with the new Bronco. Here are all the latest details.

This report comes from a TFLcar viewer after a conversation with a local Ford dealer. Ford does not officially comment on future products, so we must take this information with a grain of salt until Ford releases details on its own.

2021 Ford Bronco: What we know so far

New Ford Bronco
[Photo: Ford]

All the information we have so far suggests that the new Bronco will have a retro-inspired rugged design and many unique features as well. The news here is another report that the Ford Ranger-based Bronco will be offered with a manual transmission, as well as an automatic.

We expect the big Bronco (aka. “full-size Bronco”) to be offered with at least a 2.3-liter EcoBoost I-4 engine and a 10-speed automatic. The Jeep Wrangler is currently offered with a 6-speed manual transmission, so Ford may be wanting to offer this option to square off against its rival.

Another piece of news is that the Bronco will have 33-inch off-road tires. Again, this compares directly against the wheel/tires available on the Wrangler Rubicon.

Ford recently applied for several patents that may be related to the production version. These include removable doors, removable or retractable roof, modular grille that can accept a winch, and more.

Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more on the Ford Bronco’s specs as well as its official reveal in the coming months.