New Ford Bronco Likely Getting Seven-Speed Manual Transmission

Among the many rumors swirling around the new Ford Bronco is that the eagerly awaited SUV will be equipped with a manual transmission.

And now, there seems to be evidence to prove the claim.

A Reddit user noticed a post about an MTI550 manual transmission from Magna PT’s Getrag-Ford division as well as clues in the specs that the gearbox is meant for the Bronco, which is arriving later this month.

The modular transmission is called the 5/6/7MTI550 and is designed for longitudinal applications with either rear- or all-wheel-drive. The numbers indicate that the transmission can be modified to have five, six, or seven speeds, with the seven-speed configuration reportedly having a “crawler” gear for off-roading.

But while the current specs for the seven-speed manual do not include gear ratios, they do provide information on a potential gear ratio spread of up to 11. In comparison, this means the transmission has more range than the 7.1 spread of the six-speed manual found on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.

If the upcoming Bronco is equipped with a two-speed transfer case, it can offer more off-roading capabilities even in the lowest gear setting.

There is a chance for the seven-speed gearbox to be paired with two engine options: a turbocharged 2.3-liter inline-four or a twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6. A 10-speed automatic is also expected to join the spec list for more shifting duties.

While Ford has not confirmed anything about the latest round of speculations, consumers need not wait long as the reborn Bronco is set to debut in the next few weeks.