When looking at a brand new car, regular people know instantly whether they like it or not without giving it too much thought or knowing the exact reasons why they feel that way.

When a car designer looks at a brand new vehicle, it’s a completely different story, though. Designers see things the rest of us don’t and can find precise explanations as to why the styling of a certain vehicle works or not.

For the past several months, Frank Stephenson’s YouTube channel has been giving us valuable insight into how the mind of a car designer works. In his videos, the former Ford, MINI, BMW, Maserati, Ferrari, Fiat and McLaren designer has dissected his most iconic designs as well as commented on the styling of production vehicles and concept cars launched recently.

With the 2021 Bronco being the most talked about new model for the past month or so, it was inevitable that Stephenson would share his opinion on Ford’s all-new off-roader.

Right off the bat, you should know Stephenson doesn’t agree with the “retro-styled” label applied to the 2021 Bronco. That’s understandable for a designer who has penned his fair share of reinvented icons (2001 MINI Cooper, 2007 Fiat 500), but his take is it wouldn’t be fair for designers to call the new Bronco a retro creation.

He says the new Bronco “an absolute stunner of an evolution” of the original and we have to agree with that. While the new SUV pays tribute to the first generation by using certain design cues, it does its own thing from a styling point of view. Obviously, the video analyzes the 2021 Bronco in great detail, so you might be interested in watching Stephenson explain why the design of Ford’s new SUV works.