2021 Ford Bronco goes GOAT!

By Dean Mellor 3 Min Read

A report out of the US suggests the upcoming Ford Bronco, which is to be built on the Aussie-developed T6 Ranger ute platform, will likely feature a high-tech terrain response system with ‘GOAT Modes’ as well an active suspension system.

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According to a report in Motor Trend, in a trademark application for the term ‘GOAT Modes’, a terrain response system is described as being “drive systems comprised of automatic controls for vehicle chassis and powertrain controllers, integrated as an integral part of a passenger vehicle”. The Motor Trend report also suggests the GOAT acronym could stand for ‘Go On Any Terrain’ or ‘Get Over Any Terrain’.

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The 2021 Bronco launch has been pushed back due to COVID-19.

The patent application for the active suspension system describes an “Anomaly Mitigation Suspension Mode (AMSM)”. This is supposedly a hardware and software link that tailors the vehicle’s suspension system settings with the weather, terrain and even the music being played in the vehicle. As well as automatically setting the suspension, the system allows the driver to manually select suspension settings, presumably to adjust ride height and damping control for different on- and off-road conditions.

Some of the many modes described in the AMSM patent filing include Music Mode and Daredevil Mode. Music Mode is said to vary the ride height to match the music being played on the vehicle’s sound system, while Daredevil Mode allows the vehicle to be driven on two or three wheels without overturning, such as when being driven on undulating off-road terrain.

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The 2021 Ford Bronco will likely score active suspension and terrain response with GOAT Modes.

The 2021 Ford Bronco was originally scheduled for a US launch this Spring but it has been pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we’ll have to wait a little longer to see exactly what GOAT and AMSM are capable of. And, despite the Bronco’s Aussie-developed platform, the vehicle is not slated for right-hand drive production, so we’re unlikely to see it Down Under unless it’s converted locally.

 

 


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