Lincoln Is Building A Bronco In A Tuxedo To Fight The G-Wagen
The automotive industry loves a good trend, and right now, the trend is looking like a very expensive box on wheels. For years, the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and the Land Rover Range Rover have owned the high-end, go-anywhere segment. These are vehicles that can technically cross a desert but are mostly used to cross the parking lot of a high-end country club. Now, it looks like Lincoln wants a piece of that very profitable action. New reports indicate that Ford’s luxury division is developing a new SUV built on the rugged, body-on-frame platform that underpins the Ford Bronco.
According to sources at Autoweek, this new Lincoln is slated for the 2029 or 2030 model year. It is a fascinating move because it signals a major shift in Lincoln’s strategy. Not long ago, the brand was moving toward an all-electric, unibody future. But with the recent discontinuation of the Corsair and the general cooling of the EV market, Lincoln needs something that brings both prestige and a high profit margin. A Bronco-based luxury rig fits that bill perfectly.
The idea is to take the legitimate off-road chops of the Bronco—the locking differentials, the sway-bar disconnects, and the G.O.A.T. modes—and wrap them in a package that feels like a private jet. Imagine the current Lincoln Navigator’s Quiet Flight aesthetic but on a shorter, more maneuverable wheelbase. It would likely skip the Bronco’s removable roof panels and hose-out interior in favor of massive amounts of sound deadening, fine leather, and a suspension tuned for actual comfort rather than just rock crawling.
Competing with the G-Wagen or the Lexus GX is a tall order. Those vehicles have a certain intangible cool factor that is hard to replicate. However, Lincoln has been on a bit of a roll lately with their interior design. The new Nautilus and Navigator have some of the best cabins in the business, and applying that level of craftsmanship to a vehicle that can also handle a muddy trail is a smart play. It appeals to the person who wants the rugged image of an adventurer but still wants to feel like they are sitting in a very expensive lounge.
The powertrain for this mystery SUV would likely be a high-output version of Ford’s twin-turbocharged V6. While the Bronco Raptor uses a 3.0-liter mill, Lincoln could easily pair that with a hybrid system to provide the effortless, low-end torque that luxury buyers expect. It would probably also forgo the manual transmission options found on the base Bronco, as nobody buying a hundred-thousand-dollar Lincoln wants to row their own gears in traffic.
Critics might argue that the world does not need another massive, expensive SUV, but the sales figures for the competition suggest otherwise. People are willing to pay a premium for vehicles that feel substantial and capable, even if that capability is never actually tested. By leveraging the existing Bronco platform, Ford can bring this to market with significantly lower development costs than a ground-up new vehicle.
This move would also help differentiate Lincoln from Cadillac, which currently lacks a true rugged, mid-size off-roader to compete with the likes of Land Rover. If Lincoln can stick the landing and deliver a vehicle that is actually quiet and refined while maintaining its body-on-frame toughness, they might just find themselves with a new flagship that people actually want to talk about. It is a gamble, but in an industry that is increasingly playing it safe, a Lincoln-branded Bronco is exactly the kind of weird, high-end project we can get behind.
