Ford Motor Company just closed the first quarter of 2026 with a resounding thud, watching sales slide nearly 9% compared to last year. While the Ford Mustang seems to be galloping along like a caffeinated unicorn, up over 50% because it’s literally the only actual car they have left, the bread and butter is starting to mold.
Sales of SUVs and those “invincible” pick-ups dropped by 7.8% and 11.3%, respectively. Even the crown jewel, the Ford F-Series, is currently clinging to its first-place spot with white-knuckled desperation while the Chevy Silverado looms in the mirrors.
Naturally, when the spreadsheet turns red, the marketing department turns to “updates”. Enter the 2026.5 Ford Bronco, a mid-year attempt to convince us that a 4.3% sales dip is just a minor trail obstacle. The big news? The Wildtrak is back. But don’t get too excited, it’s not a standalone trim anymore.
The Wildtrak is now an “equipment package” exclusively for the four-door Bronco Badlands. You get the 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 with its 330 HP, the ten-speed automatic, and the Sasquatch Off-Road package with those Fox internal bypass shocks. It’s essentially a Badlands wearing a Wildtrak Halloween costume, complete with the Black Appearance kit.
If mechanical reshuffling doesn’t do it for you, Ford is hoping you’ll be blinded by “Orange Fury” tri-coat metallic paint, a color borrowed from the Mustang, presumably to share some of that model’s unearned optimism. They’ve also added the SecuriCode keyless entry keypad, a piece of technology that feels like a nostalgic trip back to 1994. To round out the “please buy this” package, Ford is throwing in a year of onX digital navigation and a free pass to the Bronco Off-Roadeo.
These updated rigs started rolling out of the Michigan Assembly Plant on March 23, but one has to wonder if a new shade of orange and a free driving lesson are enough to fix a 457,315-unit slump.
