There is apparently a more powerful Bronco coming, probably called the Bronco Raptor but, for a time, thought to maybe be called the Bronco Warthog. A new report says that Warthog probably won’t be called Warthog, though, which is a shame, because calling anything Warthog is cool as hell.
The name Warthog does still seem to be what Ford calls the Bronco Raptor internally, but it sounds like that’s where the name Warthog will remain.
From Ford Authority:
Sources familiar with the matter have told us that Ford’s current leadership favors powerful, well-recognized names over new names that would need to establish recognition in the marketplace. It is precisely for that reason that two of the newest Ford products rely on existing names with plenty of history, cachet, recognition.
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Now, those following Ford Authority’s coverage of all things Bronco might remember two instances that – at the time – seemed to confirm the Warthog name. The first appeared in a supplier letter and the second was the result of “Warthog” being written inside the wheel well of a prototype. Both of those instances can be explained by Warthog being Ford’s internal code name for the vehicle, much like Redback is the code name for the 2023 Ford Ranger Raptor (you heard that here first), which will be powered by the twin-turbo Ford 3.0L EcoBoost V6 engine (another Ford Authority exclusive).
At the end of the day, what we currently know is that the upcoming range-topping Bronco model will not be called Bronco Warthog when it launches in the second half of the 2022 calendar year. Instead, it will wear an entirely different name.
Ford Authority cites the Mustang Mach-E and the F-150 Lightning as recent examples of how Ford is thinking when it comes to naming the powered-up Bronco. The only problem is that Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning are intensely boring names, while Bronco Warthog is not. But boring, of course, is the point, if Ford can shorten the time it takes between you thinking about buying the powerful Bronco and you opening your wallet. We’ll always have Warthog in our hearts.