Ford has revived the Bronco 4×4 and revealed the range of vehicles that will bear the famous name and go into production in early 2021.

There’s a four-door, a two-door and a smaller Sport version and all are aimed squarely at offering off-road capability but with plenty of gadgets and gizmos to hand.

Styling is modern but clearly with a retro twist and Ford appears to have gone all out on making the Bronco as friendly as possible to accessory-loving owners – the company says there are more than 200 factory-backed accessories available for the four-door and two-door versions, and more than 100 for the Sport.

Power for the bigger Broncos comes via a 2.7-litre EcoBoost V6 engine delivering 231kW and 542Nm, or a four-cylinder 2.3-litre EcoBoost delivering 200kW and 420Nm.

A 7-speed (6+1) manual transmission and SelectShift 10-speed automatic transmission are available.

All models get a Terrain Management System with something Ford has called G.O.A.T. (Go Over Any Terrain) Modes. Up to seven of these modes are offered including Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Sand, with Baja, Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl.

In the four-door and two-door models, two 4×4 systems are offered – a base setup and advanced 4×4. Power is distributed to a solid rear axle and independent front differential unit – both with available electronic locking differentials. Long-travel position-sensitive Bilstein dampers with end-stop control valves at every corner are available.

Available technologies include Trail Control – cruise control for low-speed trail driving; Trail Turn Assist that tightens off-road turning radiuses through torque vectoring; and Trail One-Pedal Drive acceleration/braking control that the company says makes for more precise slow-mode rock crawling.

Ground clearance for the four-door and two-door models comes in at 295mm, and there’s a maximum 29-degree breakover angle and 37.2-degree departure angle. Water fording capability is up to 851mm. There are exposed tow hooks in the front and available are heavy-duty modular steel bumpers with integrated Ford Performance accessory winch mount.

Steel shields protect critical hardware and higher-capability models get a front bash plate, plus shields for the engine, transmission, transfer case and fuel tank.

Inside, Ford says the instrument panel in the bigger Broncos is inspired by the first-generation model and built to be tough and rugged.

There’s a multifunction colour LCD instrument panel with the transmission shifter/selector and G.O.A.T. Modes controller in the centre console. Attachment points are built into the instrument panel to mount a device rack, with 12-volt power connections.

Also available is a 12-inch SYNC 4 system with over-the-air updates and integration to the FordPass Performance app with off-road navigation. The SYNC system also displays the available 360-degree camera system, and there is a trail-mapping system available.

Bronco Sport

The Bronco Sport is the smaller sibling of the two-door and four-door SUVs and is available in five trim levels – a base model, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands and First Edition.

The Badlands and First Edition series are powered by a 2.0-liter EcoBoost producing 182kW and 372Nm. Base, Big Bend and Outer Banks series get the 1.5-litre EcoBoost engine with a targeted 135kW and 257Nm. Both engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, with the Badlands and First Edition adding SelectShift with steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

As with the bigger broncos, the Sport gets a Terrain Management System with up to seven available G.O.A.T. Modes depending on the model. All Sport models feature an independent front and rear suspension. On Badlands and First Edition series, the system includes tuned front struts with hydraulic rebound stops. In addition, there are 46mm diameter monotube rear shocks.

There are four steel bash plates, plus available frame-mounted front tow hooks. Badlands and First Edition Sport models can wade through up to 600mm of water.

The Badlands series comes standard with 28.5-inch all-terrain tyres. First Edition comes standard with 29-inch all-terrain off-road tyres with more aggressive, deeper treads that stretch on to the sidewalls.

On the inside, Bronco Sport can transport two mountain bikes standing up in its cargo area and there are four available accessory bundles – Bike, Snow, Water, and Camping – in addition to those 100 factory-backed accessories.

Other features include liftgate LED floodlamps, MOLLE straps to carry extra gear, zippered seatback pockets for additional stowage, a built-in bottle opener in the cargo area, and roof rack with capacity for roof-top tent camping. There’s also a 400-watt inverter and liftgate floodlamps.

The Bronco Sport features a SYNC 3 system with an 8-inch touch screen and compatibility with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

Ford Co-Pilot 360 suite of advanced driver-assist technologies is standard across the line-up, including Pre-Collision Assist with Automatic Emergency Braking featuring Pedestrian Detection, Forward Collision Warning and Dynamic Brake Support, Blind Spot Information System with Cross-Traffic Alert, Lane-Keeping System, Auto High Beam Headlamps and a rear-view camera.

The Ford Co-Pilot 360 Assist+ technology includes Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go and Lane-Centering, Evasive Steering Assist and voice-activated touch screen navigation. Available Ford Co-Pilot 360 Assist 2.0 technology adds Intelligent Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go, Lane-Centering and Speed Sign Recognition.

No word yet as to whether the Bronco, in any form, will make it to Australia. Here’s hoping!

Source: Motor Trader E-magazine (August 2020)

11 August 2020