We’ve already seen the 2021 Ford Bronco in leaked images and various spy shots, but actual details about the upcoming body-on-frame offroader have been sparse. Luckily, Ford Authority has come through to tell you about some of the juiciest Bronco details, including the fact that the vehicle was delayed to a 2021 model year release and that it will be powered by Ford’s 2.7L EcoBoost V6 engine. And now, we have another noteworthy detail to share – this time surrounding the SUV’s exterior design.

When it launches in 2021, the Bronco will offer three different grille designs, Ford Authority has learned from sources familiar with the project. The three grilles will each deliver a unique persona to appeal to a wide customer base.

The first 2021 Ford Bronco grille will be the “Modern” design, which constitutes the regular grille. It is the black grille that appears in the leaked photos from earlier this year.

The second grille option will be the “Classic” face that features retro styling cues. It will deliver a nod to the Bronco’s past, albeit in a contemporary manner.

The third and final 2021 Ford Bronco grille option will be what’s referred to as “Custom.” This nose features a more shiny and upscale look when compared to the other two offerings.

it’s currently unclear whether the three grille options will be limited to specific trim levels, or if they’ll be available regardless of model/trim level. We should also note that the “Modern”, “Classic” and “Custom” monikers might not be the actual go-to-market names for the three grilles/fascias.

What’s more, the baby Bronco, aka the Bronco Sport, will also offer the same three front fascia choices, albeit adapted for its design.

Earlier this month, The Blue Oval brand officially confirmed to Road & Track that it still plans to debut the 2021 Ford Bronco this spring, technically giving it until June 19th to show the body-on-frame SUV. The vehicle is expected to go on sale in the first half of the 2021 calendar year.

That’s not the case for the Bronco Sport, whose introduction has been delayed due to the business impact of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The Bronco Sport was originally set to debut in early April at the New York International Auto Show and enter production at the Ford Hermosillo plant in July. But now, the reveal has been postponed to an unknown date, and production will now commence in September.

This infotainment screen is bespoke from Ford’s we’ve seen so far.

We’ve gone nearly three months since our last piece of 2021 Ford Bronco news, so here’s another update. We’re supposedly weeks (or maybe even less) away from finally seeing the production version, but we received this photo showing what is most likely the new Bronco’s center stack. Beyond that, though, the source (who will remain nameless for the sake of this discussion) gave a few more nuggets of wisdom on what we can expect from Ford’s resurrected Wrangler-fighter.

Starting with the center stack, we’re greeted with a large infotainment screen that looks like it measures roughly 12 or 13 inches diagonally. That would put it in the same league as the new Ford F-150, whose interior was spied back in April. Beyond that, the switch layout looks virtually identical to the F-150, which makes sense from a parts-sharing perspective. The bezel surrounding the infotainment screen is notably different here, however, as are some of the switches.

Our source did provide a clear enough image to make out some of the options you’ll get with the 2021 Ford Bronco by way of the buttons on the center stack. Immediately below the infotainment display (showing what is most likely Ford’s SYNC 4 system), there are buttons for a 360-degree camera system, automatic stop/start and a button to disable the parking sensors. Dual-zone climate control also makes an appearance, as does heated seats. However, ventilated seat buttons aren’t here as they were on the F-150. There does appear to be some blank space on either side for a button, so it may just not be an option on this trim level.

A 7-speed manual is happening, but it’s not quite what you think

We’ve reported several times in the past on rumors that the 2021 Ford Bronco would have a seven-speed manual transmission. Our source corroborated that rumor and said it is indeed happening, but it may not be what you originally thought. We naturally assumed the seven-speed meant seven forward gears for everyday driving — an arrangement like the Tremec gearbox used in the C7 Chevy Corvette.

Instead, we’ve gotten word that only six of those seven gears are meant for highway driving. If what we’ve been told is true, the seventh gear will strictly be a crawler gear for low-speed driving, such as rock crawling. So, we could see something like a dog-leg “granny gear” that’s down and to the left of first gear, followed by a normal set of six forward gears as is more conventional in row-your-own configurations these days.

Some manufacturers marked that gear with an “L” in the old days, so we may see that and 1 – 6 for the normal gears. What’s more, if this is true Ford may engineer a lockout mechanism that prevents you from going into Low gear unless you’re in four-wheel drive and have the transfer case in low-range. Or, as one of our viewers pointed out, that gear could be unsynchronized, meaning you wouldn’t be able to engage it unless you came to a complete stop.

Again, take this information with a grain of salt. While our sources says they have seen this with their own eyes, we don’t have any information on exactly how the manual transmission works beyond strictly knowing that it’s coming to the new Bronco.

Two versions of the Bronco (off-road and street)

This last piece of information more or less matches what we expected, in that we will see two distinct versions of the 2021 Ford Bronco. Our source says that Ford plans at least two tire packages with different widths. One will be a 285-millimeter setup, while the other will be a narrower 255-millimeter arrangement.

The larger, 285-width tires suggest an off-road package — either an FX4 package or a trim level that exclusively ships with beefier tires. The Jeep Wrangler Rubicon also uses 285-millimeter tires, mounted on 17-inch wheels. The smaller tires are most likely for the street-biased trims, as the Wrangler Sahara also uses 255-millimeter tires, this time mounted on larger 18-inch wheels.

As for the exact tires Ford will use on these versions of the Bronco, there’s no word yet. The 2021 Ford Bronco with an FX4 package (or some sort of trim equivalent) could likely use Goodyear Wrangler or Wranger Duratrac all-terrain tires. BFGoodrich all-terrain or mud-terrain tires aren’t out of the question either, as they’re also used frequently on off-road trucks and SUVs.

Delayed 2021 Ford Bronco Reveal Accidentally Rescheduled on O.J. Simpson's Birthday

Once again, the highly anticipated off-road SUV is almost here, with a coincidental twist.

UPDATED, 6/15/2020: Because 2020 is just one of those years, it seems, and because truth sometimes is stranger than fiction, the 2021 Ford Bronco's rescheduled reveal falls on O.J. Simpson's birthday, July 9. The apparent coincidence was noticed by the Detroit Free Press. A Ford spokesperson confirmed to the Free Press and MotorTrend that the Bronco's debut would go on and that the timing is "purely coincidental. "

As most adult observers are aware, Simpson infamously holed up in the back seat of a white Bronco SUV during a nationally televised 1994 police chase. Accused of murdering his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, O.J. (Orenthal James) was prepared to turn himself over to authorities, however, he fled with a close friend and subsequently set off an hours-long, 60-mile, low-speed chase that became seared in the nation's collective memories of the mid-1990s. Television broadcasters interrupted their regularly scheduled (and sports) programming to beam the (outwardly) unexciting police chase live to close to 100 million viewers.—Alexander Stoklosa

We've been waiting years for it, and now it's finally around the corner. The 2021 Ford Bronco reveal will take place in July, the automaker announced on its website. Originally, the Bronco was expected to debut in March, but that didn't happen for obvious reasons.

Like its predecessors, the new Ford Bronco will have a body-on-frame chassis and will be available in two- and four-door configurations. It shares its underpinnings with the Ford Ranger pickup truck. Under the hood, it's expected to offer a 2.3-liter turbo-four, and likely a higher-output V-6. Power will likely be routed through a 10-speed automatic transmission from the F-150 and Ranger, and a seven-speed manual transmission with a built-in crawler gear may also be in the cards. Keep on the lookout for a plug-in hybrid Bronco on the horizon.

The 2021 Ford Bronco will feature some retro design elements to honor its rich heritage. Buyers will be able to customize the model with a removable roof and removable doors. As Jeep does for its 4x4 stalwart, Ford will introduce hundreds of accessories for its off-road SUV. Ford's rugged off-roader will also tackle the revived Land Rover Defender when it goes on sale.

As Ford wants to create a family of Bronco vehicles, we'll see a Bronco Sport debut in the near future. It will have the same crossover bones as the new Ford Escape, but with additional off-road chops. Expect it to share some design cues with the larger Bronco. A report from Automotive News last month hinted that the Bronco Sport will start production in September.

We don't yet know the exact on-sale dates for the Bronco and Bronco Sport. But as July approaches, we're bound to find out more information soon. In the meantime, check out this Bronco prototype fitted with hard-core Raptor-like off-road parts.

We knew there would be a new Bronco. In fact, we knew it was even going to have a little brother. What we didn't know was that "Bronco" would be its own comprehensive sub-brand.

Obviously, it consists of the vehicles themselves, confirmed to be the 2021 Bronco two-door and four-door, plus the Bronco Sport compact crossover. You can get a taste of those in the teaser image above before they're officially revealed July 13 at 8 p.m. Eastern. However, they will exist on their own island within the Ford sea and satisfy a specific ethos of "Built Wild," a sort of mixture of Ford trucks' "Built Ford Tough" and Jeep's Trail Rated designation.

Unlike Ford's current crossovers and SUVs, the "Built Wild" Broncos will have undergone elevated torture tests in the lab, proving ground and real world; come standard with four-wheel drive and a terrain management system; and have the "confidence to go over any type of terrain." Each will also share a common design language separate from other Fords and offer more opportunities for personalization.

Now, to clarify, they will officially be called the "Ford Bronco" and "Ford Bronco Sport," but there will be a Bronco emblem on the front rather than a Blue Oval. Think Mustang rather than Lincoln. Or, within the off-roader realm, a Land Rover Range Rover rather than a Jeep or Ram.

However, there is more to creating a brand (or sub-brand, really), than introducing some new models. To that end, there will be four Bronco Off-Roadeos, described as "off-roading and outdoor adventure playgrounds" intended for drivers of all experience levels. Basically, they're off-roading driving schools, not unlike the Land Rover Experience. Their locations are still to be announced, but the events are said to be starting next year.

There will also be Bronco Nation, an online community devoted to the brand and new models. It will technically be independent of Ford, which seems like a sound legal decision given the inevitable reality of internet forums. And of course, there will be Bronco merchandise. Lots and lots of Bronco merchandise, which Ford has already made available for sale on Amazon.

In total, Ford seems to have borrowed a little from Jeep, a little from Land Rover and a little from itself to create something that's new, distinctive and reasonably authentic. Of course, we still need to see that actual Bronco trio to really know how successful it is, but at least we only have a week now to wait.