“I’m not gonna do a Bronco”

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If you’ve been waiting for General Motors to roll out its current Ford Bronco rival, GM bosses have some bad news.

“I’m not going to do a Bronco,” GM president Mark Reuss said in a recent interview with The Drive. At least, none of them are powered by internal combustion engines.

2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary Edition

2023 Jeep Wrangler Rubicon 20th Anniversary Edition

While the Bronco has been a sales success for Ford, and rival Jeep Wrangler remains a bright spot for the Stellantis, Reuss says he has no interest in being “late to the party.” Launching the rival Bronco now will force GM to catch up to its Detroit rival.

Reuss also expressed concern about the impact of the new body-on-frame off-roader on GM’s Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standings, claiming Ford will have to sell vehicles like the Maverick hybrid pickup truck to keep up with the large number of non-electric models in its current lineup. He didn’t want to put the GM in the same position.

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV

2024 GMC Hummer EV SUV

That’s not to say GM is out of the off-road game. In the interview, Reuss did not dismiss the idea of ​​an electric off-roader. GM has staked on this idea with the GMC Hummer EV, which is based on Ultium components that the automaker plans to use in a variety of EVs across its brand. So instead of copying its rivals, the electric off-road vehicle will follow GM’s overall strategy.

GM is reportedly considering a mid-size Hummer model that will likely make a better rival to the Bronco than the current Hummer EV, which stretches nearly 217 inches and weighs more than 9,000 pounds in pickup form. With Jeep set to launch a Wrangler-like Recon EV in 2024, the reverse of the current situation would leave Ford as the only Detroit automaker without an electric off-road SUV.

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