Jeep Wrangler, you've had it too good for too long. The 2021 Ford Bronco is coming for you with a well-thought out, thorough lineup of retro-styled off-roaders that incorporate all the best Wrangler features and add some of their own.
Ford unveiled the 2021 Bronco on Monday in two- and four-door body styles, along with a little brother called the Ford Bronco Sport.
The 2021 Bronco is a body-on-frame SUV based on the next-generation T6 platform, the current version of which underpins the Ranger pickup. Dana axles are used front and rear, with a MacPherson strut independent front suspension and a solid rear axle with coil springs and five locating links. An upgraded suspension with long-travel Bilstein dampers is reserved for more serious off-road versions. It also features end-stop control valves to smooth out hard off-road compression.
The Bronco will offer all the off-road goodies: part-time or full-time four-wheel drive with a 2-speed transfer case, Spicer Performa-TraK front and rear locking differentials, 35-inch tires with beadlock-capable wheels, plenty of suspension travel, skid plates, a low crawling ratio, a disconnecting sway bar, a variety of terrain modes, and even off-road navigation. It will also come with the features that make the Wrangler so special: a removable top and doors.
The standard hard top on the two-door model will come in three sections with two up front and one in the rear. Buyers will be able to get a version with a removable section over the rear seats. Four-door models have four-section roofs. All have removable quarter windows. Four-door buyers will also be able to choose a cloth soft top. The removable doors are frameless and can be stowed on board in bags in the four-door model.
2021 Ford Bronco
2021 Ford Bronco
2021 Ford Bronco
Best-in-class capability
As a shot across the bow at the Jeep Wrangler, Ford claims best-in-class ground clearance of up to 11.6 inches, front and rear suspension travel that gains 17 percent over the closest competitor, a crawl ratio of 94.75:1, water fording capability of up to 33.5 inches, and breakover departure angles of 29 and 37.2 degrees, respectively.
Ford also claims best 4- and 6-cylinder torque and fuel economy. The base engine is a 2.3-liter turbo-4 making an estimated 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque. An available 2.7-liter turbo V-6 is projected to make 310 hp but turn up the torque to 400 lb-ft. Fuel economy numbers have not been announced.
The 94.75:1 crawl ratio will be available with the standard 7-speed manual transmission and full-time four-wheel-drive system. A part-time, shift-on-the-fly 4WD system will be standard. Buyers will also be able to choose a 10-speed automatic transmission. With the automatic and the full-time 4WD system, the lowest crawl ratio is 67.8:1.
2021 Ford Bronco
2021 Ford Bronco
2021 Ford Bronco
A model for every off-road need
Set to go on sale next spring with a starting price of $29,995 (including $1,495 for destination), the Bronco will come in six models, five of which sound like ultimate off-roaders. The trim levels include base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Wildtrak, and Badlands. For good measure, an additional Sasquatch package for all models amps up the off-road capability. It comes with full-time 4WD, locking front and rear axles, high-clearance suspension and fender flares, 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels, and a high-performance suspension with the aforementioned Bilstein dampers. A Launch Edition based on the Badlands will also be offered in a limited run of 3,500 units to play off the 35-inch tires.
Notable features of these models will include heavy-duty bumpers, skid plates, water-resistant marine-grade vinyl upholstery, and a locking rear differential for the Black Diamond; LED headlights and taillights and glossy trim for the Outer Banks; the V-6 and 35-inch tires with beadlock-capable wheels for the Wildtrak; and the disconnecting front stabilizer bar, performance suspension, and locking front and rear differentials for the Badlands.
Ford will launch the Bronco with more than 200 accessories, including donut doors, so buyers can customize their vehicles. Exposed front and rear tow hooks will be on the menu. Available underbody protection will include a front bash plate; engine, transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank skid plates; and side rock rails that can support the full weight of the vehicle on each side.
2021 Ford Bronco
The Bronco will come standard with a terrain management system that Ford calls G.O.A.T. for Goes Over Any Terrain. It has Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Mud, Sand, Baja, and Rock Crawl modes. Its controller is located on the center console, with additional off-road controls on the top of the dash. These activate an off-road cruise control function, a turn-assist feature that uses torque vectoring to help the vehicle rotate around tight off-road turns at low speeds, and one-pedal driving.
Inside, the Bronco gets an 8.0- or 12.0-inch touchscreen for infotainment, an optional surround-view camera system with off-road spotter views, wipeable surfaces, and silicone rubber switches. Ford will also offer washable rubber floors, and six upfitter switches.
The Bronco will be available with forward-collision warnings with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking, auto-dimming high beams, automatic headlights, blind-spot monitors with cross-traffic alerts, active lane control, rear parking sensors, and post-impact braking.
Look for complete pricing closer to the Bronco's launch next spring. In the meantime, interested buyers can place $100 deposits now at Ford.com
