Ford Bronco Gets Taller Brush Guard That Doesn't Hide Grille Letters

The new Ford Bronco is nearly here, but it's certainly been a long road. Between supplier-related issues, COVID-19 issues, and other delays, the reborn off-roader should reach dealerships in June. To say there's pent-up demand for the new Bronco is a tremendous understatement, and to make that live for you, apparently there's already a customer-requested design change for an optional add-on ... before it's even in the hands of customers.

That's the word according to Bronco Nation, which has some close ties with the Blue Oval. Several photos were recently posted there, showing the Bronco's new-and-improved brush guard (aka safari bar) that now rises a bit higher above the front bumper compared to the previous version. The reason for this change? Apparently, some people weren't happy with the bar covering up the prominent BRONCO lettering in the grille. The photo at the top of the article comes from Bronco Nation and shows the placement of the new bar, versus the image below featuring the old bar.

We're tempted to get a bit razzy on this because let's be honest – nobody is mistaking the Bronco for something else simply because letters in the grille are slightly obscured from certain angles. We'll hold back though, because branding does matter, both for companies and proud vehicle owners. Lest we forget, Ford saw fit to have Wrangler lettering removed from the Bronco's Goodyear-sourced tires, and it's not like making the bar a bit taller is a huge design change. We can't fault Ford for listening to its enthusiasts and giving them what they want.

Do they really want this though? Browsing through a related thread in the Bronco Nation forums, we see responses are mixed at best. A poll at the top of the thread shows opinions nearly split, with a slight majority not enthused with the updated design. Granted, this informal poll covers an exceedingly small portion of the confirmed 125,000 Bronco sales reported by Ford, but it all points to one undeniable truth. The Bronco is still the talk of the town in the off-road world, and buyers are absolutely feverish to get their hands on one.

Here's hoping there aren't any more delays that push deliveries later into the year.