We can finally start speculating about the sort of accessories the 2021 Ford Bronco will have at its disposal as the Blue Oval’s off-road SUV looks to one-up the legendary Jeep Wrangler. Admittedly, Ford hasn’t released much in the way of details regarding the sort of add-ons it plans to offer on the model, but that hasn’t stopped curious fans from digging in and trying to figure it out for themselves. One particularly motivated member of the Bronco6G forum recently dug up an image that shows a Bronco with a set of rad-looking tube doors.
We previously published information on the Bronco’s removable doors, including the possibility of tube doors appearing on the model. This is the first time we’ve seen an image of the tube doors outside of a patent drawing, though. Wranglers have long offered tube doors and it was an almost foregone conclusion the Bronco would sport a similar optional setup.
One thing the Wrangler’s tube doors lack is an airbag. It sounds pretty unconventional, but last year Ford filed a patent for—what looks like—a tube door with an “inflatable device” inside. In short, it looks like Ford’s putting airbags in the Bronco’s surely forthcoming tube doors. Even though we’re not entirely sure how it works, we think the concept is pretty cool given the limited protection offered by these open-air doors.
Surely, the aftermarket will eventually offer specialty off-road accessories, such as tube doors, for the Bronco in the coming months. Still, if Ford’s baked some extra safety into its own tube doors, then the Blue Oval’s factory-backed units will be pretty hard to top.