Automakers are like politicians: they hate recognizing a rival. Instead, other brands and their products are “the competition” or something similar. But in developing the Ford Bronco 2021 to beat the Jeep Wrangler, the Blue Oval ran into a problem: One of the most popular off-road tires on the market is the Goodyear … Wrangler. Oh darling.
It just wouldn’t work for Ford’s most significant new product in years to feature its archrival’s name five separate times on the outside. After all, how silly would a Mustang with “Camaro” look everywhere, or an F-150 with multiple “Ram” logos? Exactly. And that’s why when the new Bronco arrives in the spring of 2021, it will do so with special Goodyear tires that lack the typical Wrangler insignia. But not entirely.
As we said, the Goodyear Wrangler is an extremely popular off-road tire, so while the name won’t be visible in the Bronco, according to Ford, there should still be little Wrangler markings on the inside of the tire.
Ford confirmed this to Motor1.com, with spokesman Sam Schembari saying: “[The Wrangler name] it will be removed from the side wall of the Goodyear on the outer side. Bronco customers won’t see it unless their tires are outside the vehicle and the inside is visible. ”
Why not completely remove the word? According to Schembari, it is because the Wrangler’s name “is still part of [Goodyear’s] aftermarket brand. “
So while there will still be small cases of Jeep’s long-lasting SUV in every Bronco, the tires won’t constantly remind owners.
As for which versions of the Bronco these special Goodyear tires will carry, it’s hard to say right now. Depending on the fit, the Bronco will use any of six different tire sizes, from 30 inches on the Base to a whopping 35 inches on the Wildtrak and vehicles with the optional Sasquatch package. We’ve already seen the Broncos Goodyear Wrangler shod in press images, but vehicles in certain shots also feature BFGoodrich rubber (below).
To learn more about the Ford Bronco 2021, be sure to check out our debut debut post on the long-awaited off-roader.
