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Is the 2021 Ford Bronco Too Late to the Game?
Bob Lutz weighs in on whether the new Bronco can unseat the Jeep Wrangler.
JUL 17, 2020
During my time at Ford (1975 to 1986) we had a phrase for when we were about to enter an already-occupied segment of the automotive market: "Last in, but best dressed." It meant that unless you're offering more tangible appeal or value than the established contenders, you might as well stay home.
We don't really know how good the just-unveiled 2021 Ford Bronco is, but with Ford's undeniable engineering prowess, there's no need to doubt its basic competency. It will be an excellent vehicle with fantastic off-road qualities.
But a question arises: Isn't it too late? Haven't all the dedicated off-road fans (or wannabes, or poseurs) already satisfied their inner craving for a vehicle that, by its very boxiness, expresses function over form?
This theory—the segment is used up, everybody has already bought one—ignores a few fundamental facts. First, the market is not static like a pond which, once fished out, stays fished out. It's more like a river, always presenting new customers as former buyers drift downstream. The fact that Chrysler had a lock on minivans in the Eighties and Nineties didn't deter competitors from rushing in. Ford was marginally successful, Nissan and GM flopped. But Honda and Toyota, with their stellar reputations and excellent product entries, managed to carve out a meaningful slice of the profitable pie.
And that, too, is part of the lesson: Not only does product excellence count, but brand is often the telling factor. Many minivan customers bought Chryslers with their then-uneven quality, but were openly waiting for an offering from one of the highly trusted Japanese brands. (Nissan's offering missed so badly in styling that even then-chief designer Shiro Nakamura told me, "I sort of let that one get away.") The reality is that there are tens of thousands of Ford loyalists in this great land who won't ever consider a Jeep or a Chevrolet. Christmas has come early for them.
But one element trumps all others: Is it better than the established competition? Is it different, or simply "our" version of "theirs"?
A successful strategy can pay off in a huge way. In 1994, with the introduction of the all new "big-rig look" Dodge Ram, we got it right: Bold, different, controversial love-it-or-hate-it design; more horsepower, more torque, and more payload than Ford, Chevy or GMC. I was President of Chrysler back then. All the "strategic leadership" literature at the time, including Boston Consulting Group, advised against the investment—with Ford and GM accounting for 95 percent of full-size pickup sales, it was strongly suggested we throw in our cards and cut our losses. We didn't. In a very few years, the full-size pickup market was roughly broken into even thirds, with Toyota playing a minor walk-on part. (They never quite got the "better than the established players" memo when it came to trucks.)
The new Bronco looks good in photographs, especially the heavily-optioned off-road models with huge tires. And the Bronco lineup offers a four-door model, a style that accounts for the vast majority of Jeep Wrangler sales. That one, from the photos I've seen, looks a bit less compelling than the two-door, but seeing the vehicle in the flesh, on the road, is the ultimate criterion.
My prediction is that the Bronco will be good. Some of its sales will come at Jeep's expense, but some will cannibalize other Ford vehicles. Will it become king of the hill, dethroning the iconic Wrangler? We'll see. Personally, I doubt it—Wrangler will remain the benchmark in the segment.
Is the 2021 Ford Bronco Too Late to the Game?
Bob Lutz weighs in on whether the new Bronco can unseat the Jeep Wrangler.
JUL 17, 2020
During my time at Ford (1975 to 1986) we had a phrase for when we were about to enter an already-occupied segment of the automotive market: "Last in, but best dressed." It meant that unless you're offering more tangible appeal or value than the established contenders, you might as well stay home.
We don't really know how good the just-unveiled 2021 Ford Bronco is, but with Ford's undeniable engineering prowess, there's no need to doubt its basic competency. It will be an excellent vehicle with fantastic off-road qualities.
But a question arises: Isn't it too late? Haven't all the dedicated off-road fans (or wannabes, or poseurs) already satisfied their inner craving for a vehicle that, by its very boxiness, expresses function over form?
This theory—the segment is used up, everybody has already bought one—ignores a few fundamental facts. First, the market is not static like a pond which, once fished out, stays fished out. It's more like a river, always presenting new customers as former buyers drift downstream. The fact that Chrysler had a lock on minivans in the Eighties and Nineties didn't deter competitors from rushing in. Ford was marginally successful, Nissan and GM flopped. But Honda and Toyota, with their stellar reputations and excellent product entries, managed to carve out a meaningful slice of the profitable pie.
And that, too, is part of the lesson: Not only does product excellence count, but brand is often the telling factor. Many minivan customers bought Chryslers with their then-uneven quality, but were openly waiting for an offering from one of the highly trusted Japanese brands. (Nissan's offering missed so badly in styling that even then-chief designer Shiro Nakamura told me, "I sort of let that one get away.") The reality is that there are tens of thousands of Ford loyalists in this great land who won't ever consider a Jeep or a Chevrolet. Christmas has come early for them.
But one element trumps all others: Is it better than the established competition? Is it different, or simply "our" version of "theirs"?
A successful strategy can pay off in a huge way. In 1994, with the introduction of the all new "big-rig look" Dodge Ram, we got it right: Bold, different, controversial love-it-or-hate-it design; more horsepower, more torque, and more payload than Ford, Chevy or GMC. I was President of Chrysler back then. All the "strategic leadership" literature at the time, including Boston Consulting Group, advised against the investment—with Ford and GM accounting for 95 percent of full-size pickup sales, it was strongly suggested we throw in our cards and cut our losses. We didn't. In a very few years, the full-size pickup market was roughly broken into even thirds, with Toyota playing a minor walk-on part. (They never quite got the "better than the established players" memo when it came to trucks.)
The new Bronco looks good in photographs, especially the heavily-optioned off-road models with huge tires. And the Bronco lineup offers a four-door model, a style that accounts for the vast majority of Jeep Wrangler sales. That one, from the photos I've seen, looks a bit less compelling than the two-door, but seeing the vehicle in the flesh, on the road, is the ultimate criterion.
My prediction is that the Bronco will be good. Some of its sales will come at Jeep's expense, but some will cannibalize other Ford vehicles. Will it become king of the hill, dethroning the iconic Wrangler? We'll see. Personally, I doubt it—Wrangler will remain the benchmark in the segment.
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