A spy shot of the 2021 Ford Baby Bronco

Ford is working on a small SUV with rugged looks and off-road capabilities to compete with the Jeep Renegade. We first received confirmation of the new SUV in early 2018, and now a prototype has been spotted.

Many are beginning to refer to the new small SUV as the Baby Bronco, as the new Bronco joins it in a two-pronged challenge against Jeep. Rumor has it that it will be called Adventurer, but whatever the recent trademark moves, Maverick, Timberline, or Bronco Scout may be the actual name of the vehicle.

However, Baby Bronco and Bronco have very different ideologies. While the Bronco will be based on the sturdy body-on-frame platform of the Ranger mid-size pickup truck, the Baby Bronco will be twinned with the latest Ford Escape. In other words, it is a unibody platform like the automobile known as the C2.

Although the prototype is heavily camouflaged, we already know what the Baby Bronco will look like thanks to a leaked photo that circulated last November. Those pictures were taken during a dealer presentation.

There we see a vehicle that clearly recalls the first Bronco of the 1960s, with perfectly round LED lights and the Ford nameplate spelled out across the grille. The side profile features a nifty shoulder line that runs from the door handle behind the passenger seat to the window.

The interior features a rotary gear selector, electronic parking brake, 8.0-inch touchscreen, real buttons and knobs for the air conditioning and infotainment systems, and push button start.

It is not clear what Ford plans for the powertrain, but some, if not all, of the same units found in the Escape will be present. Front-wheel drive will likely be standard, with all-wheel drive on the list of options.

In the Escape, fuel-efficient buyers can opt for a hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrain. Both combine a 2.5-liter inline-4 engine with an electric motor and continuously variable transmission. Performance fans will find a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-4 with 250 hp; a turbocharged 1.5-liter inline-3 with 180 hp is also available, but don't expect this option in the Baby Bronco.

The exact launch date for the Baby Bronco is also unclear. Currently, the vehicle is expected to arrive at dealerships with the Bronco within the next year. Both are expected to appear as 2021 models.