Lincoln is reportedly building a body-on-frame luxury SUV based on the Ford Bronco, and the target launch window is late summer 2029 at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne — the same facility that builds the Bronco itself. Two sources familiar with Ford’s plans told the Detroit Free Press the project has an internal program code, suggesting this isn’t early-stage speculation anymore.
The Lincoln G-Class rival would take aim at the Mercedes-Benz G-Class and Land Rover Defender at roughly half the G-Class’s current $155,750 starting price. A Lincoln dealer told the Detroit Free Press the new SUV could open around $70,000 — an estimate, not a confirmed figure, but one that changes the competitive picture considerably.
Why the Bronco Platform Makes Sense for Lincoln
Lincoln’s current lineup runs entirely on crossover platforms. Every model — Nautilus, Aviator, Navigator — uses unibody construction. None of them can genuinely compete with what a G-Class or Defender does on difficult terrain, and Lincoln has no body-on-frame architecture of its own to build from.
The Bronco solves that problem without requiring Ford to develop an entirely new platform from scratch. The body-on-frame architecture is already proven off-road. Four-wheel-drive hardware is already engineered and tested. The trail credibility the Lincoln G-Class rival needs as a foundation already exists in a vehicle Ford builds at volume. Using it cuts development cost and time simultaneously — which probably explains why this project reportedly moved closer to production rather than staying in the concept stage.
Dealers have been asking for this for years according to the Detroit Free Press. Lincoln’s crossover lineup leaves a gap that the G-Class and Defender fill for buyers who want genuine off-road capability alongside luxury — and dealers know exactly which sales they’re losing because of it.
Not a Rebadged Bronco — A Proper Lincoln
A Bronco with fancier seats isn’t what Lincoln is reportedly building. The SUV gets its own exterior and an interior designed around what buyers actually expect from a $70,000 luxury vehicle — real materials, genuine quietness, proper technology.
The G-Class spent decades proving that boxy and rugged can become a luxury status symbol. The Defender followed the same path from utility tool to premium lifestyle product. Lincoln is essentially reading that same playbook — take a capable off-road foundation, wrap it in genuine luxury execution, and charge accordingly for the combination.
The Bronco has already established itself as one of Ford’s strongest lifestyle vehicles with genuine cultural weight behind it. That heritage gives the Lincoln G-Class rival a credibility advantage that a clean-sheet luxury off-roader would take years to build on its own. Lincoln isn’t manufacturing an off-road identity from nothing — it’s inheriting one from a vehicle that already has it.
Half the Price of a G-Class — But the G Isn’t Standing Still
The G 550 starts at $155,750 in the US. A $70,000 Lincoln sits at less than half that. The numbers look simple. The reality isn’t — G-Class owners aren’t buying suspension travel and locking differentials. They’re buying a silhouette that people recognize from 50 feet away. Lincoln doesn’t have that yet.
The G-Class has been the same basic shape since 1979. That’s not a design flaw — that’s the entire point. People buy it partly because everyone knows what it is. Lincoln doesn’t have 40 years of that history to draw from in this segment. The Lincoln G-Class rival at $70,000 needs to build that communication from the ground up.
Mercedes isn’t staying still either. A smaller G-Class with a lower asking price is reportedly targeting a 2027 launch — which means by the time the Lincoln G-Class rival reaches dealers in 2029, Mercedes will have had two years to establish an entry point into the G-Class segment at a more accessible price. The competitive window Lincoln is targeting in 2029 looks different from what it looks like today.
A Crowded Segment by 2029
Lincoln won’t be the only brand chasing the G-Class when the 2029 window arrives. Audi is working on a G-Class rival of its own. Genesis revealed its GV90 and has signaled broader ambitions in the rugged luxury space. The Bronco-based Lincoln G-Class rival enters a segment that will be more crowded than the one that currently exists.
BMW reportedly cancelled its plans to enter this off-road luxury SUV niche — which removes one expected competitor but also signals that the segment isn’t a guaranteed win for everyone who enters it. BMW walked away from a project that presumably had strong initial justification. That context matters when evaluating how confident Ford and Lincoln are about the 2029 plan.
Ford hasn’t confirmed any of this publicly. The internal program code suggests the project has structure behind it, but program codes don’t always become production vehicles. A late 2029 launch means Lincoln has roughly three years to confirm, refine and finalize a vehicle that doesn’t officially exist yet as far as the company is concerned.
What We Know and What We Don’t
| Detail | Status |
|---|---|
| Vehicle type | Body-on-frame luxury SUV |
| Platform | Ford Bronco-based |
| Production plant | Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, Wayne |
| Target launch | Late summer 2029 |
| Estimated starting price | Around $70,000 |
| Direct rivals | Mercedes-Benz G-Class, Land Rover Defender |
| Interior | Upscale Lincoln materials and technology — details unconfirmed |
| Exterior design | Separate from Bronco — details unconfirmed |
| Official confirmation | Ford has not confirmed |
| Source | Detroit Free Press, two sources familiar with Ford’s plans |
Frequently Asked Questions About the Lincoln G-Class Rival
Is the Lincoln G-Class rival officially confirmed?
No. Ford hasn’t confirmed the vehicle publicly. Two sources familiar with Ford’s plans told the Detroit Free Press the project has an internal program code and a potential 2029 production start — but internal programs don’t always reach production.
What platform will the Lincoln G-Class rival use?
Reports indicate it will use the Ford Bronco’s body-on-frame architecture rather than a new platform developed specifically for Lincoln. That gives it genuine off-road hardware without the cost and time of starting from scratch.
How much will the Lincoln G-Class rival cost?
A Lincoln dealer told the Detroit Free Press the starting price could be around $70,000. That’s an estimate from a dealer source, not an official figure from Ford or Lincoln.
How does $70,000 compare to the Mercedes G-Class?
The current G 550 starts at $155,750 in the US. At $70,000 the Lincoln G-Class rival would cost less than half as much. Mercedes is also developing a smaller, less expensive G-Class targeting a 2027 launch which will complicate that price comparison by the time Lincoln’s version arrives.
Where will the Lincoln G-Class rival be built?
Reports indicate production would happen at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne — the same facility that currently builds the Ford Bronco.
When will Lincoln confirm this vehicle officially?
No timeline for an official announcement from Ford or Lincoln. With a reported 2029 production target the company has time before a formal reveal becomes necessary.
Will it look like a Bronco?
No. Reports indicate the Lincoln G-Class rival gets its own exterior design and interior rather than a modified Bronco body. The Bronco platform provides the mechanical foundation — Lincoln’s design team handles everything the buyer actually sees.
Who else is targeting the G-Class?
Audi and Genesis are both reportedly developing competitors in this space. BMW reportedly cancelled its off-road luxury SUV project. The segment will be considerably more crowded by 2029 than it is today.
Lincoln has been selling comfortable crossovers while the luxury off-road segment grew into one of the most profitable corners of the entire automotive market. A Bronco-based Lincoln G-Class rival at $70,000 addresses that gap directly — and the platform logic behind it is sound enough that the idea makes more sense than it might initially appear. Whether Ford commits fully to a 2029 production start or the project shifts timelines again is the only real question left until someone at Ford confirms it officially.
Also Read: 2027 Genesis GV90 Revealed — 657HP, Coach Doors and Stunning Neolun Interior
