2024 ‘Work’ and ‘Premium’ Ford Bronco Trims Coming: What Are They?

Ford’s mea culpa confab this week, the Ford Capital Markets Day, is held to shore up the numbers for investors. But it is also where coming production and future models sometimes slip out. That’s what happened at the end of May when Ford announced the Bronco would add Work, Premium, and Heritage+ versions for 2024. 

What is the ‘Work’ Bronco trim?

So let’s take a look at what these trims might be. For the Premium version, this suggests a high-end touring machine. It’s more Luxe country club and less off-road. That means bigger wheels, leather interior, black or satin silver trim, upgraded sound system, etc. More like a Jeep Sahara Altitude. 

The Work trim is pretty obvious. It will be a stripped-down, spartan Bronco, much like it was originally in 1966. Ford has previewed this basic Bronco with the ARB Service Unit and Fire Rig concepts, minus the graphics. And while it might seem like something 2024 SUV buyers can’t warm up to, think park ranger, beach lifeguard, and campus utility vehicle. There’s a huge market for municipality vehicles, so why not a Bronco?

What is the Heritage+ Bronco version?

For the Heritage+ version, we’ll see the current Heritage version tweaked to some degree. What that degree might be, we’ll have to wait and see. But think back to the upgraded Broncos of the 1960s and 1970s. There was a bit of added chrome and even a strip of chrome trim running along the bodyside. Might this Heritage+ bring back the essence of that long-ago Bronco? It could be a version to amp up sales of the two-door since it doesn’t sell like the four-door version.

Can there be too many Bronco trims? Not for Ford’s bottom line. Ford Blue Vice President Jim Baumbick reveals these expanding trims fill the profit coffers by a minimum of 30% over the base Bronco. So, will we be seeing even more versions? You bet we will.

How many trims does the Bronco have in 2023?

Right now, there are nine Bronco trims, which make for increased marketing opportunities and press. Those you can’t quantify, but there is clear value to them which Ford’s bean counters and marketing brain trust know. Right now, the Bronco is a money machine. It hasn’t seen an end to its popularity and ability to increase Ford’s profit margins.

If there is a downside to the Bronco story, it’s availability and quality issues. From the hardtop fiasco in its early production to numerous recalls, Ford is playing with fire with each trim suspended and recall announced. Combined with its overall most-recalls of 2021 and 2022, Ford has problems that no exciting new models and trims nor spot-on marketing can overcome. 

For now, let’s look forward to more intriguing Bronco trims like the ones revealed here, better quality, and fewer recalls as we approach 2024.