2021 Ford Bronco Revealed, Jeep Wrangler Beware!

2021 Ford Bronco Front — Designed to be a tough off-roader, it looks the part

The new 2021 Ford Bronco has been revealed to take on the Jeep Wrangler in the popular off-road segment.

Ford says the revived model has been built with the toughness of an F-Series truck and the performance spirit of the Mustang.

The 2021 Ford Bronco comes in both 2- and 4-door variants and will sit on top of a new family of rugged off-road models that includes the smaller Bronco Sport.

First up the Bronco. The rugged off-roader has circular headlights, a grille with Bronco badging in bold letters, while the fog lamps are at the bottom, near the tow hooks.

At the side, one can see a shoulder line that runs the length of the SUV, while there are flared wheel arches to house big wheels and the rear-view mirrors are mounted on the pillar up front.

At the rear, the taillights are small, number plate tucked below into the bumper and the whole area is dominated by the spare tyre.

Inside, the cabin gets Ford’s latest SYNC4 12-inch infotainment system (an 8-inch display is standard) and features off-road navigation. The system also uses the 360-degree camera.

Also, there are grab handles on both the dash and the center console and a rack for mounting devices such as smartphones and action cameras can be fitted on the dash. The interior is weatherproofed, featuring a rubberised floor with drain plugs and water-resistant upholstery.

There are personalisation options too. Customers can choose different types of doors, modular steel bumpers with integrated winches, different front grille design and fender flares, roof racks and LED light bars.

Other features offered in the off-roader are – removable doors, removable three-section hard top (2-door variant), soft top (4-door) and a Trail Toolbox.

The 2021 Ford Bronco will come with two EcoBoost engines – a base 2.3-litre 4-cylinder with 270 HP and 420 Nm of torque and a 2.7-litre V6 with 310 HP and 542 Nm of torque.

Transmission options will include a new 7-speed manual with a crawler gear (standard only on 4-cylinder models) and a 10-speed automatic.

Two 4×4 systems will be offered with the base one featuring a 2-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case and the optional system comes with a 2-speed electromechanical transfer case with an automatic on-demand 4H engagement. A G.O.A.T (Goes Over Any Terrain) Terrain Management System with seven modes is present to aid off-roading.

Bronco has 294 mm ground clearance, water fording capability at 851 mm, maximum breakover angle of 29 degrees and 37.2 degrees departure angle.

The body-on-frame SUV, Ford says, has 17 percent more suspension travel than the Jeep Wrangler. At the front, there is a fully independent suspension with a differential and a solid-axle with coil springs and five locating links at the rear.

Locking diffs can be optioned, with even more off-road oriented spec available from Ford’s toy box. The 2021 Ford Bronco will come in seven trim levels and the Sasquatch off-road package is available with every trim level and so are four content packages.

Priced from $29,995 (Rs. 22.6 lakhs), production of the 2021 Ford Bronco will begin in early 2021.

Now, the Bronco Sport. Taking cues from the original Bronco, up front the smaller SUV gets an “encapsulated cartridge grille” flanked by circular headlights either side.

The SUV has a lot of plastic body cladding and flat design and gets a stepped safari style roof, while at the back, it gets good looking taillights and prominent bumpers giving that rugged look.

The Bronco Sport is not only shorter, narrower and a bit taller, it also has 41 mm shorter wheelbase. Thus, inside, space has reduced, but the dashboard gets an 8-inch SYNC 3 infotainment system, below which are climate controls and a minimalist center console.

There are interesting touches including MOLLE straps, zippered seatback pockets and a built-in bottle opener in the cargo area.

Also, the Bronco Sport will get LED floodlights, a slide-out table, washable rubber flooring and a 400-watt inverter for powering various items.

The small SUV gets two different engines. The entry-level unit is a 1.5-litre EcoBoost 3-cylinder that produces 181 HP and 257 Nm of torque, while the 2.0-litre 4-cylinder unit produces 245 HP and 372 Nm of torque. Both will come paired with an 8-speed auto and the 2.0-litre models will come with paddle shifters.

The car also gets the G.O.A.T terrain management system with different modes for better off-roading.

In all, there will be five trim levels called the Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands and First Edition. The latter two feature a more advanced 4×4 system with twin-clutch rear-drive unit with a differential lock.

When equipped with all the off-road goodies, the Bronco Sport has 224 mm ground clearance, 30.4 degrees approach angle, 33.1 degrees departure angle and 20.4 degrees breakover angle. It can ford up to 599 mm of water.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport will arrive at dealerships in the USA late this year and pricing starts at $28,155 (Rs. 21.2 lakhs).

India launch not expected anytime soon but we hope it comes here, at least the Bronco Sport.