Ford engineered 2022 Bronco to give Jeep the willies

Ford engineers refused to utter a single bad word about Jeep Wrangler during the course of the week-long 2022 Bronco media drive event in Austin, Texas. In fact, some among that gracious bunch admitted, ahem, that they may have owned and modified a Wrangler or two in their lifetimes. Jeep's profit-spinning 4x4 icon has that effect on competitors and fans alike.

And it “has had this space to itself for decades,” noted Eric Loeffler, chief program engineer for U725, Ford's code for the new Bronco. About five years ago, Ford decided to unseat the Jeep's monopoly. The result is a modern take on another historic nameplate that finally brings Wrangler a truly serious competitor - and beats it in at least three key areas.