Many international automakers have brands unique to a particular market. These brands are often designed to cater to specific needs. Fiat's Lancia brand is a good example of this, as it's designed to provide low-cost entry-lux vehicles to the Italian market. Ford's Lincoln Motor Company arm is another great example of this, as it's designed to make other drives aware that an old person is behind the wheel. In Brazil, Ford has the Troller brand, which is designed to provide an affordable Jeep-like off-roader to the masses. With many still pining for the return of the Ford Bronco, Ford recently pulled the wraps off the second-generation Troller T4.
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The Troller T4's specs are enough to make any American off-road enthusiast want to pack up and move to Brazil. The small Jeep Wrangler-style off-roader is powered by a 3.2-liter diesel engine, mated to a six-speed manual. The Portuguese press release on the new Troller is light on detail, but we suspect the diesel engine might be the same one found in thenew 2015 Ford Transit van. In the Transit, the Powerstroke 3.2-liter turbodiesel I-5 makes 197 hp and 347 lb-ft of torque, which should prove plenty for the serious off-roading the Troller is likely to encounter.
While the previous-generation Troller T4 looked like a "Grand Theft Auto"-ified TJ Jeep Wrangler, the new one looks like a cross between the 2004 Ford Bronco concept, a classic Toyota Land Cruiser 40, and a Land Rover Defender. There's even a little bit of modern day Jeep Wrangler, and Suzuki Samurai thrown in there. Simply put, the Troller T4 looks killer. The Troller comes with an integrated skidplate/brush guard up front, tow hooks, and a "sky roof" allowing outside light into the cabin via glass in the roof. The Troller is available with off-road or mixed-use tires, as well as a snorkel, and a rear spoiler. Inside, the Troller T4 is designed to be easily hosed down after some mudding in the Brazilian back country.
Ford's Troller T4 will be built in Brazil, for Brazil. Odds of it forming the third-coming of the Ford Bronco for North America are slim to none, barring some un-foreseen circumstances like a Red Dawn-style takeover of the United States by Brazil. Check out a Troller T4 prototype in action in the video below.
Source: Ford
I generally like writing—especially when it’s about cars—but I hate writing about myself. So instead of blathering on about where I was born (New York City, in case you were wondering) or what type of cars I like (all of ’em, as long as it has a certain sense of soul or purpose), I’ll answer the one question I probably get most, right after what’s your favorite car (see above): How’d you get that job? Luck. Well, mostly. Hard work, too. Lots of it. I sort of fell into my major of journalism/mass communication at St. Bonaventure University and generally liked it a lot. In order to complete my degree senior year, we had to spend our last two semesters on some sort of project. Seeing as I loved cars and already spent a good portion of my time reading about cars on sites such as Motor Trend, I opted to create a car blog. I started a Tumblr, came up with a car-related name (The Stig’s American Cousin), signed up for media access on a bunch of manufacturer’s websites, and started writing. I did everything from cover new trim levels to reviewing my friends’ cars. I even wrote a really bad April Fool’s Day post about the next Subaru Impreza WRX being Toyota-Corolla-based. It was fun, and because it was fun, it never felt like work. Sometime after my blog had gotten off the ground, I noticed that Motor Trend was hiring for what’s now our Daily News Team. I sent in my résumé and a link to my blog. I got the job, and two weeks after graduation I made the move from New York to California. I’ve been happily plugging away at a keyboard—and driving some seriously awesome hardware—ever since.
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