Ford pins hopes on bling for Broncos

LAS VEGAS — For Ford Motor Co. dealers, accessories are far from an afterthought on the revived Bronco SUV.

After some stores encountered issues during last year's launch of the Ranger pickup, Ford is making significant changes to encourage Bronco buyers to load up with all-weather mats, soft tops and as many other add-ons as possible.

Those extras are key to boosting dealer profits on the Bronco and reasserting Ford's credibility in the off-road space so it can steal share from Jeep.

Ford's lofty volume target for the Bronco family of vehicles adds urgency to the accessories strategy. The automaker told dealers it's aiming for combined sales of 200,000 next year for the SUV and a smaller crossover it's calling the Bronco Sport.

The automaker in recent months has replaced more than half of its regional accessories distributors, updated a website for dealers and promised faster parts shipments when the rugged utility arrives in early 2021. Officials plan to initially offer more than 150 Bronco accessories, all of which can be warrantied and financed through Ford Motor Credit Co.

A revamped Ford Accessory Distributor network comprising seven regional providers aims to facilitate quick-turn orders and prevent dealers from having to amass large inventories of parts. Ford also has partnered with Autodata Solutions to make selling accessories online easier.

"The company is way more engaged than it's ever been in delivering accessories from the very beginning of launch," John Crane, chairman of the Ford National Dealer Council and owner of Golf Mill Ford in Niles, Ill., told Automotive News. "We know how important it is to sell accessories to people. They spend thousands of dollars on their vehicle. We want to be ready from the get-go."

That didn't happen with the Ranger, despite inking an early deal with Yakima to offer everything from bed racks to paddleboard carriers. Dealers said some items initially weren't available and others were slow to arrive.

"At launch, we may not have had as many accessories as we would have wanted, but as Ranger has evolved, the accessories have caught up," said Tim Hovik, a member of the Ford council and owner of San Tan Ford in Gilbert, Ariz. "We feel like we've taken a step forward to modernize our distribution system to give the dealers more options and faster order fills so we're more efficient with our customers and can deliver a better experience for them."

That modernization included swapping out four of the seven Ford Accessory Distributor members, dealers said. For its Midwest region, Ford recently parted with Chicago Parts and Sound in favor of Suburban Auto Parts. The automaker advertised late last year on LinkedIn for a new service manager for its western region to start Jan. 1.

"That whole system is just getting going," Mark LaNeve, Ford's vice president of U.S. marketing, sales and service, said at the NADA Show here. A Ford spokesman declined to comment further.

Much is riding on Ford's accessories business. The automaker has pointed to data from the Specialty Equipment Market Association showing that vehicle owners spent nearly $45 billion on parts and accessories in 2018, with much of that flowing to aftermarket outfitters. Buyers often pay thousands of dollars to customize their vehicles.

"We see a real profit opportunity," Hovik said. "If I sell a Bronco, I know it's going to be accessorized. I just don't know if I'm going to be the one who does it. We want to get a share of that market."

Anticipation for the Bronco, a nameplate last built in 1996, has been building for more than three years since Ford confirmed its return, and the automaker is finally almost ready to reveal the SUV.

Ford plans to unveil the Bronco in March, dealers were told. The introduction of the Bronco Sport will follow in April, likely timed to the New York auto show.

Executives told dealers at the Ford brand's NADA Show make meeting that they expect sales of the Bronco family — which will initially comprise two-door and four-door versions of the Bronco as well as the Bronco Sport — will exceed 200,000 in 2021. That would put it in the same neighborhood as the Jeep Wrangler, which tallied 228,032 sales in the U.S. last year.

The Bronco Sport will go on sale late this year, while the Bronco won't be available until early 2021.

Ford has shown both vehicles to dealers on a number of occasions. The Bronco features a retro design, including round headlights and "BRONCO" stamped in the grille, according to those who have seen it.

The SUV is designed to be customizable, with a removable hard top and removable doors that can be stored in the vehicle's cargo area.

The side mirrors will be attached to the front pillars so they remain in place when the doors are removed.

"Now that everyone knows the Bronco is coming, we know that's going to transform our business," Crane said after the Ford meeting, although he did not discuss timing. "For a lot of dealers, just hearing this isn't a one-vehicle play, it's a family of vehicles, people are walking out of here very positive."