Ford Bronco Basecamp coming to Australia 2027 – China REEV, up to 900 km WLTP, Malaysia to get it too?

In what has surely got to be the region’s worst-kept secret, Ford has finally announced that the Chinese-market Bronco New Energy will be headed to Australia in the second half of 2027, badged as the Bronco Basecamp. The electrified SUV will help the carmaker diversify its offerings, as its Ranger and Everest continue to be battered by high diesel prices globally.

Built by JMC, the Basecamp offers the boxy 4×4 styling of the pukka Bronco, albeit grafted onto a road-biased unibody chassis. Details like a full-width grille with round headlights, wraparound windows and a side-opening tailgate with a full-sized spare tyre are juxtaposed against an aerodynamic front “wing”, slimmer air intakes and pop-out door handles.

The five-seater cabin is mostly identical to the Chinese version (apart from the fact that it’s right-hand drive, of course), with a simplified design, large 8.8-inch instrument and 15.6-inch infotainment displays, twin smartphone holders with a Qi wireless charger and a distinct lack of physical switchgear.

Ford has also confirmed that many of the car’s outdoorsy features will be carried over to international markets. For instance, the seats can be folded completely flat, allowing a full-length inflatable mattress (available in the accessories catalogue) to be installed.

There’s also a Wild Kitchen, which despite its name isn’t a built-in stovetop and sink, but rather a fold-down table built into the tailgate to be used alongside a bottle opener, a magnetised surface and a three-pin power socket in the boot. The range-topping Outer Banks model also gets a 7.5 litre centre console fridge and even an RV-style pop-up roof.

Measuring 5,025 mm long, 1,960 mm wide and 1,825 mm tall, the Basecamp is 215 mm longer, 35 mm wider and 42 mm taller than even the full-fat Bronco five-door, even though its 2,950 mm wheelbase is exactly the same. That makes the car much bigger than the likes of the Jetour T2, another 4×4-styled SUV.

For now, only the range-extended EV model has been confirmed, with no sign of the battery-powered variant as yet. Power comes from dual motors providing all-wheel drive, as well as a 1.5 litre turbo four-cylinder generator. No output figures have been released, but as reference, the Chinese version makes 421 PS (310 kW) and 600 Nm of torque.

The Australian car will get a larger 49 kWh battery for an estimated combined range of between 800 and 900 km on the WLTP cycle. Ford hasn’t provided details of electric range or charging but has confirmed the Basecamp will offer a 6.6 kW V2L function.

It remains to be seen if the Bronco Basecamp will be made available elsewhere, but it would certainly be welcome in Southeast Asia. That includes Malaysia, where preferential import and excise duty rates for Chinese-built vehicles should enable the car to be priced more competitively – more so than even the Thai-built Everest.

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