Ford may have unintentionally offered one of the first glimpses at what the next-generation Bronco could look like. Car and Driver spotted a pair of Ford patent filings featuring detailed drawings of an unnamed, boxy SUV that bears more than a passing resemblance to the current Bronco. While patent drawings are never a guarantee of future production plans, the timing is certainly interesting. The next Bronco is expected to arrive around 2030, with production potentially beginning in late 2029, making these illustrations particularly intriguing for anyone wondering where Ford plans to take its reborn off-road icon.

The SUV shown in the patent drawings keeps much of the rugged formula that helped make the current Bronco such a compelling Jeep Wrangler rival. There is still an upright body, squared-off styling, and a substantial front end, although the grille appears larger and gives the mystery SUV a slightly different personality. The proportions also seem somewhat tighter than today’s Bronco, particularly around the rear doors and wheel openings. Up front, vertical tow hooks are incorporated into a chunky bumper in a way that recalls the Bronco Raptor. One of the most noticeable changes is at the rear, where the drawings appear to show a conventional top-hinged liftgate instead of the Bronco’s familiar side-hinged rear gate.

Perhaps even more interesting than the exterior design are the ideas Ford is exploring inside. One patent outlines a modular system that could make storing removable doors considerably easier. Support bars positioned in the cargo area would provide a place for owners to secure the doors after removing them, potentially solving one of the less glamorous problems that comes with enjoying an open-air off-roader. Removable doors have become a major part of the Bronco experience, so improving the process of taking them off, transporting them, and reinstalling them would be a meaningful upgrade rather than just another novelty feature.

Another patent leans heavily into the Bronco’s camping and adventure lifestyle. Ford’s drawings show a fold-out platform capable of creating a flatter sleeping area inside the SUV, giving campers a more practical place to lay down a mattress or sleeping pad. An additional configuration depicts a rooftop tent arrangement that makes use of the vehicle’s hood as part of its supporting structure. These ideas might never reach production exactly as illustrated, but they suggest Ford is thinking about the next Bronco as more than simply an off-road machine. It could become an even more adaptable platform for overlanding, camping, and weekend adventures straight from the factory.

A complete redesign would also make sense by the end of the decade. The current-generation Bronco returned for the 2021 model year and has largely followed the same basic formula since its launch. Ford is already believed to have more Bronco developments in the pipeline, including a hybrid model expected before the next generation arrives, while reports have also pointed toward a possible Bronco-based pickup later in the decade. None of that proves the SUV hiding in these patent drawings is the 2030 Ford Bronco, but the combination of removable-door storage, camping features, rugged proportions, and unmistakably Bronco-like details makes it difficult to dismiss. If this really is an early preview, Ford appears determined to preserve what enthusiasts like about the Bronco while making the next one even better suited for life beyond the pavement.