2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp confirmed for Australia: first details, specs and release date

When does the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp go on sale in Australia?

At the Australasian debut of the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp, which is known as the Bronco New Energy in China, Ford Australia president and CEO Fadi Mawal confirmed that the large five-seater plug-in hybrid (PHEV) family SUV will launch in the middle of 2027.

Expressions of interest are now being taken, ahead of customer order books opening during the first half of next year. First deliveries are due early in the third quarter.

The Bronco Basecamp is the headline act in Ford Australia’s strategy to transform its range with new hybrid and EV models that return the brand to key segments. The aim is to double its market coverage from 30 to 60 per cent by 2030, at which point 90% of its range should be either all-new or significantly refreshed.

“I can tell you, Ford is here to win,” says Mawal. “We will be here for the next 100 years, no matter what the challenges are in front of us. But we know we need to evolve to win. Our future direction is clear: greater choice for our customers, deeper loyalty with the Ford brand and more foot traffic into our dealerships.”

He adds: “Smarter, more affordable vehicles that leverage cutting-edge multi-energy technology – a much more diverse line-up to sell beyond the wildly successful Ranger and Everest, all of which helps us to compete more aggressively with both new and legacy automakers alike.”

How much will the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp cost?

Pricing is still to be announced for the five-seater-only 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp, but Ford promises it will be competitive in the lifestyle-oriented large SUV segment. This points to a starting price around $60,000 drive-away at the entry level, pushing up to $70,000 or beyond for the top-spec Outer Banks variant.

Rivals include the highly capable GWM Tank 300 PHEV, which starts from $57,990 drive-away, the larger Tank 500 PHEV (priced from $79,990 drive-away) and the Denza B5 (from $81,693 drive-away for Victorian private buyers).

The Bronco Basecamp might also draw attention away from on-road-oriented all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid family SUVs like the Jaecoo J8 Summit AWD (from $64,582 drive-away) and BYD Sealion 8 AWD (from $68,873 drive-away).

“By leveraging our global footprint, including China for the first time, we are moving fast and staying affordable, without asking customers to compromise on capability, lifestyle or quality,” says Mawal.

A capped priced servicing scheme will be put in place for the Bronco Basecamp. The vehicle will also be eligible for Ford Australia’s just-announced new seven-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty (in place from September 1, 2026), which is conditional on servicing at an authorised centre. The service network currently stands at 220 outlets across the nation.

Research and compare hybrid and PHEV SUVs on sale today in Australia

2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp exterior and interior design and tech

The 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp has unmistakeable utilitarian Bronco styling cues and, indeed, the requisite bucking Bronco badge on the tailgate. The boxy silhouette, upright windscreen, circular LED headlights and bold backlit BRONCO lettering all point to a modern interpretation of the 1960s original.

At 5025mm long, 1960mm wide and standing 1825mm tall (depending on the variant), China’s Bronco PHEV is longer than the current (unrelated) North American Bronco and the Ford Everest. It’s a five-seater only, and with a generous 2950mm wheelbase, the Basecamp has lots of room inside.

Chief designer Simon Brook, who is the design director at Ford’s Shanghai studio in China, admitted it was a big responsibility taking 60 years of Bronco heritage and turning it into an EV/PHEV based on a car-like monocoque platform.

“Sixty years of history on your shoulders is a huge responsibility,” he said. “We started by preserving that honest Bronco stance, reimagining those classic proportions for the electric era and balancing rugged volumes with modern design language.”

Brook says the Bronco was built “from the campsite out” – meaning it’s a vehicle tailored to an outdoor adventure lifestyle with its rain-sensing pop-up electric glass roof (fitted on the top-spec Outer Banks variant) and flat-folding seats that combine with a custom-fit inflatable mattress (extra-cost accessory).

Details such as high-mounted air vents and charging port locations, careful LED lighting placement and door-mounted electric rear seat adjustment switchgear were all planned around the in-car sleeping experience, which is designed so that occupants don’t have to unload cargo or rearrange luggage space.

At the rear end, the Bronco PHEV has an optional camp-style ‘wild kitchen’ built around the large swing-door tailgate and cargo area, adding a fold-down table and integrating with a 6.6kW Pro Power Onboard vehicle-to-load (V2L) outlet. A 7.5-litre warm/cool centre console box is also standard on the Basecamp Outer Banks model.

A full-size 19-inch alloy spare wheel is mounted on the tailgate.

The interior has a high spec, loaded with features often found on the Chinese-sourced vehicles: dual digital screens, ambient interior lighting, soft-touch trim, comfortable seats (with synthetic leather upholstery), minimalist switchgear, steering-mounted gear shift controller, large bridge-style console with top-mounted wireless phone charging pads (and key reader), and a broad range of storage facilities and charging points.

This is a connected vehicle, offering over-the-air (OTA) software updates and other remote services such as cabin temperature preconditioning via a Ford app. The main 15.6-inch screen provides high-resolution 360-degree camera views and handles a lot of the major functions, although some shortcut buttons are provided on the console.

The rear seat area is spacious, while the seats are generously sized and electrically adjustable on the top-spec model. Pillar-mounted air vents and twin USB-C device charging points are provided.

Research and compare family SUVs on sale: prices, specs, features, running costs, safety

What is the power and EV range of the Ford Bronco Basecamp?

The 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp has an all-wheel-drive plug-in hybrid electric vehicle powertrain. A 1.5-litre turbocharged petrol engine serves as a range extender, feeding a 4.9kWh lithium-iron phosphate (LFP) battery which in turn powers two electric motors (one at each axle) to drive the front and rear wheels.

Ford says it’s targeting an EV-only driving range of more than 100km for the Bronco Basecamp (based on the WLTP standard), with a total range of around 800km with a fully charged battery and a full tank of fuel.

Full specifications are still to be provided, although Chinese specs point to a combined 310kW power output and 600Nm maximum torque. The SUV is no lightweight, either, tipping the scales at around 2.5 tonnes.

A pure-electric EV version of the Basecamp is available overseas, but Ford executives would not be drawn on whether it will be sold in Australia.

Research and compare EVs on sale today in Australia: prices, specs, running costs, safety
 

How good is the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp off-road?

As the name suggests, the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp is designed to get to basic off-road destinations but isn’t equipped to head further up the mountains.

Whereas the North American Bronco is based on the Australian-developed T6 platform (also underpinning the Ford Ranger ute and Everest SUV), the Basecamp uses a JMC-sourced car-like monocoque platform with fully independent suspension. A monocoque Bronco Sport is also sold in the US but is likewise unrelated to the Basecamp.

The Chinese Bronco does have electronic off-road driving modes and offers all-wheel drive with its dual-motor layout. There are no mechanical locking differentials, although a switch on the centre console points to a specific traction aid at the rear axle.

Extensive drivetrain (and powertrain) details are not being provided at this stage, with Ford executives saying only that the Basecamp is “capable off-road”. Chinese specs point to a 220mm ground clearance and 600mm wading depth.

Ditto for towing, with no confirmed capacities at this stage but the promise of a braked towing rating for Australia. This will not be anything like the 3500kg that the Ford Everest can handle, with a small box trailer and twin jet skis cited as relevant loads for the Bronco Basecamp.

Research and compare 4x4 off-road SUVs on sale: prices, specs, features, running costs, safety

How safe is the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp?

Ford Australia has confirmed to RACV that the 2027 Ford Bronco Basecamp has been designed to achieve a maximum five-star ANCAP rating.

Aussie engineers are currently testing the vehicle on local roads, developing a specific calibration for advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – and the SUV’s suspension tune – that will feed into the global program. Ford says this is being used to “help define” the vehicle’s final set-up for western markets, which still rests with JMC in China, so we’ll wait and see.

Expect a broad range of ADAS fitted standard, plus high-level telematics such as automatic collision notification and emergency call (eCall) capability in the event of a serious collision..

More: What is eCall? How crash detection technology saves lives

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