Easter Jeep Safari

4 custom Ford Broncos make their way to Moab for Easter Jeep Safari

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Mar 31, 2021, 6:00 am

Ford is making a splash in the mountains of Moab with new concept vehicles.

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

It's traditionally a Jeep-centric event. After all, it's call Easter Jeep Safari. But, other off-roading vehicles are welcome, which is how the Jeep Wrangler's biggest competitor ended up with four custom builds in Moab, Utah this week. The Bronco vehicles all feature new accessories that will soon be available from Ford's three new aftermarket accessories partners.

Custom Bronco by Ford Motor Company

Custom Bronco by Ford Motor Company

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

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This custom Bronco Outer Banks is of the four-door variety and equipped with a Strategy Package. Ford says that the model "mixes high-tech luxury features with rugged off-road Ford-licensed accessories". It features JAC Products rock rails, fender flares by Air Design and Trail Armor rocker panel covers by Lund, with a 40-inch curved LED lightbar by Rigid on top and a retractable full-roof soft-top by Bestop. A matte black hood wrap and Covercraft windshield sunscreen are added to reduce glare.

The cabin of the Bronco is accessorized as well. It has secure stowage add-ons including a DC Safety rear cargo organizer plus roadside assistance and first-aid kit, a Tufty MOLLE straps and security drawer below, along with a Console Vault center console.

Custom Bronco by RTR Vehicles

Custom Bronco by RTR Vehicles
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

RTR built this specially equipped on a four-door Bronco Badlands adding custom RTR rock sliders and rear bumper, RTR 3D-printed grille with simulated accent lights, and 35-inch Nitto Ridge Grappler tires mounted to RTR Tech-6 wheels. A roof-mounted Project X lightbar, custom RTR graphics, and 12-volt Type S Blizzard Box refrigerator/freezer in back complete the package.

Custom Bronco by 4 Wheel Parts

Ford Bronco Accessories: ARB 4x4 Accessories
Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company
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This custom Bronco Black Diamond four-door SUV features a mix of 4 Wheel Parts factory brand parts including a modular front bumper, skid plate and winch platform, heavy-duty suspension components, custom roof rack and light mounts, plus a Smittybilt overhead tent and camping gear, awning and refrigerator/air system. It rides on 37-inch BFGoodrich mud-terrain tires mounted to 17-inch Method alloy wheels.

Custom Bronco by ARB 4x4 Accessories

Custom Bronco by ARB 4x4 Accessories

Photo courtesy of Ford Motor Company

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This custom Bronco sports high-performance off-road parts designed by ARB specifically for Bronco two- and four-door models. It's built on the Bronco Badlands model and enhanced airbag-compliant front and rear bumpers, heavy duty rock sliders and differential cover, plus essential off-road accessories like an ARB twin compressor, jack, and Zero refrigerator/freezer.

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Luxury SUV

Lincoln will not make performance version of Navigator SUV

Lincoln will not make a performance variant to compete with Cadillac.

Lincoln

TheLincoln Navigator and Cadillac Escalade have been duking it out at the top of luxury SUV rankings for decades, but there’s one area of the Caddy’s development that Lincoln won’t touch. In a recent interview, a company executive told Ford Authority that it has no plans to create a performance variant of the Navigator to compete with the upcoming Escalade V from Cadillac.

2022 Lincoln NavigatorThe new Navigator features several upscale touches and excellent tech. Lincoln

That means the Navigator will stick with the powertrain it’s carried for years, which is a twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter EcoBoost engine that makes 440 horsepower and 510 pound-feet of torque. It’s paired with a smooth ten-speed automatic and either rear- or four-wheel drive. While there’s more than enough power to get the hulking Lincoln moving, it’s not a powertrain that inspires excitement or engagement, and though beefy, it’s tuned much more for comfort and quietness than drama.

Though more than adequate, those specs are a far cry from the numbers we expect from the Escalade V. The full-size bruiser from Cadillac is expected to get a supercharged 6.2-liter V8, similar to the unit seen in the CT5-V Blackwing and Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. We don’t know power numbers yet, but the engine should deliver horsepower and torque numbers in the high 600s.

Cadillac Escalade VThe Escalade V will be massively powerful. Cadillac

That Lincoln is taking a different approach isn’t surprising. The automaker has already announced its intention to go all-electric, so pouring more time and resources into creating a performance gas-powered SUV isn’t in line with its goals. Company executives have also expressed a desire to avoid imitating rivals, so the decision to leave a performance Navigator behind is not surprising.

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Electric trucks

Ford begins production of F-150 Lightning

First-year Ford F-150 Lightning production numbers doubled
Ford

Ford has begun serial production of the new F-150 Lightning electric pickup truck, marking what could be one of the most important days in recent automotive history. The first trucks rolled off the assembly line at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Michigan today, so America's best-selling truck has finally gone electric. Ford wants to sell two million EVs per year by 2026 and have half of its global sales volume to be electric by 2030.

Ford F-150 LightningPast meets future: Ford's new electric pickup will be the F-150 Lightningautomotivemap.com

Ford has seen extreme demand for the trucks, with 200,000 reservations since the books opened. To deliver, the automaker plans to increase production to an annual rate of 150,000 units by next year, which involved huge investments in the Rouge Center and created hundreds of jobs. Ford's total investment for the F-150 Lightning crests $1 billion across Michigan alone, and has created 1,700 jobs across various facilities in the state.

Ford F-150 LightningThe first production trucks left the factory today.
Ford Motor Company

Though the Lightning starts around $40,000, the most mainstream models will cost much more than that. The F-150 Lightning Pro, while affordable, is a stripped-down truck intended for commercial buyers. It's still a forward-looking electric truck with amazing capabilities, but it lacks much of the creature comforts and features that everyday drivers expect. Higher trims get the latest driver assistance features, including BlueCruise, which is Ford's semi-autonomous hands-free driving assistant. A 12-inch touchscreen is standard, along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and more.

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