Photo: Ford Motor Company
A rumor about the all-new Ford Bronco that goes back to 2018 seems to have new legs with the SUV’s reveal on the horizon. A post on Reddit’s r/cars subreddit points to a new seven-speed manual transmission developed by Ford and Getrag that seems tailor-made for the 2021 Bronco.
Redditor u/mrpoodles11 on Sunday night posted a link to the website for the Getrag-Ford partnership. The link goes to a PDF info card that reveals the details for the MTI550 manual transmission from Magna, which is the very same manual rumored to accompany the Bronco in 2018. Raising this to the level of likelihood for application on the Bronco: The seven-speed version features a low-gear “crawler” setting, which makes it perfectly suited for off-roading. Thank you, u/mrpoodles11, not just for the tip but for so many other things.
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The graphic also promises a gear ratio spread of up to 11, which would blow the Bronco’s closest competitor — the Jeep Wrangler — out of the water with its ratio spread of up to 7.1. It also promises best-in-class torque-to-weight ratio and best-in-class shiftability as well as compatibility with a hybrid version of the Bronco, which Ford has already confirmed.
It’s coming, y’all
Photo: Ford Motor Company
As for what engine the seven-speed manual would pair with, the likely suspect still appears to be the twin-turbocharged 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. Car and Driver suggests that the 2.3-liter turbo-four could be in line for it as well while u/mrpoodles11 suggests it could get the twin-turbo 3.0-liter EcoBoost from the Explorer.
Fortunately, we don’t have long to wait before we can put this sorta speculation to rest. Ford is expected to reveal the 2021 Bronco sometime this month, so we don’t have long before we figure out whether you can use a stick with this horse.
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