The room erupted into clapping as the sheet slid off the stage at the Melbourne Convention Centre this week. We all knew what was hiding under there, but seeing the bright-orange beast still caused the heart to jump a little.

Yep, at the "Ford Uncovered" event on 7 September, the company has confirmed it: the Bronco is coming to Australia.

However, then came the fine print - and the moment the clapping somewhat eased off.

At the Ford Uncovered event in Melbourne, 7 September. Photo: Ford Australia.

This isn't the heavy-metal US rock-crawler. It's sourced from Ford's Chinese partner, Jiangling Motors Corporation (JMC), and it's a plug-in extended-range electric vehicle (EREV).

But it's the cornerstone of Ford's massive push to double its Australian market coverage from ~30% to over 60% in three years, alongside a new electric Transit and a razor-sharp limited-edition Mustang.

Here is everything you need to know about the night's big reveals.

The Bronco Basecamp shares little in common with the US Bronco. Photo: Ford Australia.

The Bronco (Basecamp)

Despite the same LED signature, muscular stance, and illuminated "BRONCO" grille, this Bronco shares almost nothing with the American version under the skin.

It's a unibody setup (like a Mustang Mach-E), and essentially an electric car with an onboard petrol generator - the 1.5-litre turbo engine never turns a wheel, but feeds a 49kWh battery pack, which in turn drives all four wheels through two electric motors. Claimed range is a very decent 800 to 900 km though.

More details will be revealed closer to when it goes on sale in mid 2027, but this same "Basecamp" model sells in China for ¥229,800, or around A$47,565.

The Bronco Basecamp "Outer Banks" model gets this electronic lifting roof. Photo: Ford Australia.

We do know there'll be an "Outer Banks" model (yes, inspired by the TV show), with an electric "Pop-Up Lift Roof" for extra headroom and breeziness when camping in it - and complete with a rain sensor that auto-closes so you don't wake up in a puddle. From the rain at least.

And you can comfortably camp in it. Accessories include a custom-fit inflatable mattress that sits flush over the folded seats, plus an integrated 7.5L warm/cool fridge console right in the armrest.

The Transit City offers a combined driving range of about 250 km. Photo: Ford Australia.

The Transit City

Also from China is the Transit City, a fully electric version of the Transit aimed squarely at fleets and small businesses

It offers a combined driving range of about 250 km (more in city environments), 6.4 cubic metres of storage and 1,085 kg of payload, and will cost $55,000 driveaway when it arrives before December.

Enough?

Ford says it arrived at the all-important figures by analysing telematics data from more than 2,000 Transit Customs operating in real-world conditions. Findings showed typical urban daily trips average 76 km, with 90% of daily routes requiring 200 km or less.

The Dark Horse Triple Eight Spec Pack with Jamie Whincup. Photo: Ford Australia.

The Mustang Dark Horse Triple 8 Spec Pack

So the name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but there's plenty to impress once you get past that.

The Mustang is already the best-selling sports car in Australia, and such was demand for the 2025 Dark Horse, Ford has brought it back for 2026 - topped off with a local track-focused upgrade.

It comes with a special blue spoiler, and wider track, among other changes. Photo: Ford Australia.

Co-engineered with Triple Eight Race Engineering and motorsport icon Jamie Whincup, this release is strictly limited to 250 units globally - and every single one is reserved for Australian buyers.

Kit includes ?Pirelli P Zero Trofeo RS rubber, a performance rear spoiler with a "Grabber Blue" gurney flap, an ultra-wide front aero splitter (track-use only), exclusive "Avalanche" paint, custom Triple Eight badging, and "Notorious Blue" Brembo callipers. Recaro seats, bespoke scuff plates, a branded manual shift knob, and a numbered build plate inside.

A still of the 6x6 Ranger at Ford Uncovered - a car they might actually build. Photo: Ford Australia.

The wild card: a 6x6 Ford Ranger

For those moments when standard 4x4 tailgating isn't excessive enough, Ford also showed a fully functional 6x6 Ranger prototype.

Clad in entry-level XLT bodywork, it sits on the heavy-duty Super Duty chassis complete with steel underbody armor, a heavy-duty transfer case, and locking front/rear diffs. Power comes from a 3.0L V6 turbo-diesel mated to a hybrid setup with a rear electric motor, delivering a massive 364 kW total system power. Towing remains at an earth-moving 4,500 kg and payload at 1,983 kg.

While Ford hasn't confirmed retail production, it’s being pitched directly at a £4.8 billion British Military contract to replace their aging Land Rovers. 

The Bronco Basecamp - showing off its camping potential. Photo: Ford Australia.

The verdict: Will it work?

The Ranger has been Australia's best-selling vehicle for three consecutive years, the Everest dominates large SUVs, and the Mustang is the country's best-selling sports car.

But rather than waiting for these figures to wane, Ford is choosing now to go even harder.

"We'll get there by broadening our portfolio and bringing in more zero-tailpipe and low-emission vehicles, without asking customers to compromise on capability, lifestyle or quality," Fadi Mawal, President and CEO of Ford Australia and New Zealand, said.

Regardless of their Chinese origins, both the Transit City and Bronco Basecamp will both be finetuned for local roads at Ford Australia's You Yangs Proving Ground near Melbourne.