Ford Australia is leading the development of the born-again Bronco alongside the model it will be based upon, the next-generation Ranger.

According to Motoring, the company’s Asia-Pacific Product Development Center in Victoria is bringing the new model to life and that test mules have already started testing at the marque’s You Yang proving ground.

It is thought that the T6 ladder platform currently used by the Ranger will be modified and shortened for use in the Bronco and that as with other T6-based Ford models, it could be sold as a global model, available in both left-hand and right-hand drive configurations.

Beyond sharing its platform with the next-gen Ranger, the Bronco is expected to share the same four and five-cylinder diesel engines available alongside manual and automatic transmissions with a low-range transfer case. There’s also a possibility that U.S.-spec models could be offered with a petrol-powered V6.

It is suggested that the new Bronco is being benchmarked against Rubicon variants of the Wrangler two-door and Wrangler Unlimited four-door.

News about the Ford Bronco being reborn came to light late last month when a representative for the United Auto Workers said the model would be built at the firm’s Michigan plant, filling the void left by the Ford Focus.

Note: Ford Bronco rendering from Bronco6g pictured above and 2004 concept below

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