RE: 2020 Ford Bronco is 'Built Wild'

RE: 2020 Ford Bronco is 'Built Wild'

Tuesday 14th July 2020

2020 Ford Bronco is 'Built Wild'

Two bodystyles, four engines, three gearboxes, seven trim levels and 200 options - the Bronco is back



Well here we are then, at last. After years of rumours, conjecture, spy shots and speculation - plus the more recent debacle around revealing it on OJ Simpson's birthday - this is the new Ford Bronco. And not just one Bronco, either, but two: the regular model, a "midsize 4x4 SUV" in America, with two or four doors, four seats or five, removable panels and four- or six-cylinder engines, plus the smaller Bronco Sport. The latter is a "subcompact 4x4 SUV" and will be exclusively available as a four-door, five passenger variant, with the former not even a little bit removable. Perhaps even more surprising is the Sport's choice of engines: a three-cylinder Ecoboost is standard, with a larger 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo also set to be offered.

But let's deal with that later - it's the big boy Bronco that is of most interest. Ford isn't holding back on proclaiming its achievement: "Both [two-door and four-door] are engineered with 'Built Wild Extreme Durability Testing, Capability and Innovative Design for segment-leading 4x4 capability, long-term off-road performance and dependability."

Let's get through the numbers first. The Bronco is 4,810mm long, 1,854mm high and 1,928mm wide as a four-door, or 4,412mm by 1826mm by 1,928mm as a two-door. The standard engine will be Ford's 2.3-litre Ecoboost, as used in the Mustang and Focus ST, with around 270hp and 310lb ft expected (final specs haven't yet been published). A V6 will also be offered, a 2.7-litre twin-turbo with 310hp and 400lb ft - no V8 so far. On the 2.3 the standard gearbox is a seven-speed Getrag manual (it's six plus a crawler gear), with a 10-speed auto optional; the latter is standard on the 2.7. A 16-inch wheel is standard on a 30-inch tyre, which also permits 210mm of ground clearance, plus approach, breakover and departure angles of 35.5, 20 and 29.7 degrees respectively. They can be improved upon with the 35-inch tyre, but we'll deal with options shortly - they're almost another story in themselves.


All Broncos come with independent front suspension, twin-alloy A-arms and coilover springs up front, with a solid five-link rear axle also featuring the same springs and active bushings. As standard there's a Dana AdvanTEK independent differential unit up front, with a Dana44 AdvanTEK solid rear axle. The suspension can be upgraded with Bilstein dampers, the axles with Spicer Performa-TraK electronic locking diffs. There's even a standard 4WD system and an optional "advanced 4x4", the latter building on the base two-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case with an auto mode that allows on-demand selection of 2H and 4H. Ford says the new Bronco is "infinitely customisable" for "more capability personalisation and style". Much like the new Defender, it appears to be catering for every possible SUV taste, from park ranger to soccer mom. Which is understandable, if sometimes hard to get your head around...

Inside the new Bronco, drivers will control all of the car's considerable tech with a Terrain Management System, in which one of seven 'G.O.A.T Modes' can be chosen. Don't worry, that isn't 'Greatest Of All Time Modes' (even if Ford calls the original car the GOAT), but instead the Goes Over Any type of Terrain modes, which isn't quite so catchy. Anyway, they are Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Sand, Baja, Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. All of which might have made Snow White more interesting. And could potentially increase mode anxiety even further...

Other points of note inside include gauges inspired by the original, cubbies and power connections aplenty and a very clever evolution of Ford's Sync4 infotainment. It features FordPass Performance, which will allow owners to plot off-road adventures - aided by integration of the 360-degree camera for a 'spotter' view and over-the-air updates to ensure the topographic trail maps are up to date. Indeed, Ford is pretty proud of the inbuilt maps; with help from NeoTreks, Trails Offroad and FunTreks, there are more than 1,000 maps available online and offline.


But who cares about the inside when the doors come off? A feature reserved exclusively to the big Bronco, Ford says both two- and four-door "make the open-air experience quick, easy and fun." Clearly a dig at Jeep, the Blue Oval also states that the frameless doors are "easier to remove than what competitors offer." On the four-door Bronco, all of them can be stored in the car with protective door bags (it would seem for the two-door that you'll have to take your chances on conditions remaining friendly to doorless motoring). As for the roof, the smaller Bronco has a three-section one and the larger one comes off in four parts. Removal is said to be a one-person job, with the quarter windows removable without taking the roof off as well. The four-door Bronco can be optioned with a soft-top and a hardtop - both of the Broncos available are going to offer "the largest overall open-top view in its class to take in the sunshine or to gaze at the stars at night."

Speaking of which, prospective buyers may well be kept up in the small hours agonising over their spec choices. Ford pitches the standard Bronco as "a no-frills SUV for those who want to customise", with Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Wildtrak, Badlands and a First Edition also to be launched. What on earth they actually mean we can't be sure just yet, but the information released thus far shows higher trims bring bigger, beadlock-capable wheels with larger tyres, the Wildtrak and Badlands in particular designed "for more extreme off-road adventuring". There will be 11 colour choices, 200 dealer installable accessories and the usual array of options: a Sasquatch off-road package, Ford Co-Pilot 360 driver assist and the Trail Toolbox (with Ford's 'Trail Control' hill descent cruise control and a one-pedal off-roading system) just the tip of what sounds like a very large iceberg. And if anyone says that the Bronco is a $30k SUV, tell them they're being daft - none of these new ones will leave without an option.

Still with us? Thank goodness, nearly there. Launched alongside the Bronco is the smaller Bronco Sport, also said to boast the same 'Built Wild Capability and Confidence' but in a more petite package. Indeed at 4,386mm long, the Sport is 100mm shorter than even a VW Tiguan. The three-cylinder Ecoboost is aiming for 180hp and 190lb ft, the 2.0-litre offering a targeted 245hp and 275lb ft; both will be paired to an eight-speed auto.


Though perhaps a more lifestyle kind of SUV than the larger car - aimed at "whatever weekend adventure its owner has in mind", as opposed to those who might spend every waking hour in a Bronco - the Sport is still packing plenty of off-road cred. The GOAT modes are back, as is Trail Control and the steel bash plates to protect the important bits underneath. It can even be hosed down inside like big brother Bronco (and like all the proper 4x4s, if certain bits of the internet are to be believed).

But the Sport is clearly a softer option, with reduced ground clearance and wading depth as well as less advanced hardware: the most advanced rear axle option features a twin-clutch drive unit, which can divert almost all toque to either wheel, but won't carry the kudos of a mechanical locking unit. Still, the Sport looks cool, will cost less than the larger car and "was tested in extreme conditions... as part of Built Wild Extreme Durability Testing." It's going to deal with a Spring Break surf trip just fine, basically. And there are still myriad options available, too, with five trim levels, four lifestyle packages (Bike, Snow, Water and Camping), more than 100 accessories and chunky off-road tyres.

So, say what you want about the Bronco project, but Ford can't be accused of not trying when it comes to making it appeal to as many buyers as possible. From those who just want an SUV to cruise around the suburbs looking cool in, to the kind of explorers that verge on the nomadic, it seems that the Bronco has you covered. And you can guarantee there will be plenty of people intrigued, with the nameplate absent for so long. They'll be even more intrigued given that a Bronco can be reserved from today for just $100, with full specs to follow nearer launch. As for interested parties in the UK, it's probably best to get nagging your Ford dealer - they brought the Mustang over eventually, so anything is possible...





















Author
Discussion

rare6499

Original Poster:

648 posts

138 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Absolutely fantastic looking.


Wadeski

8,132 posts

212 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Defender looking a little silly now.

BenjiA

300 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Call me a little Englander or whatever you like, but I don't think I have ever registered a "Bronco" as an iconic vehicle here....I might have seen a rusty heap of import rubbish somewhere with that badge on the back, but why should anyone on pistonheads care about this pile of crap?

BenjiA

300 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
|https://thumbsnap.com/5TNp71Eu[/url]

Ah $50k. Beautiful. amazing. That's the crap truck Ed drove in Twin Peaks, why didn't you tell me?

Relevance to the UK? Nil.

Sorry for being grumpy, but this is nonsense for a UK website.

BrunoVC

73 posts

78 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
“Ah $50k. Beautiful. amazing. That's the crap truck Ed drove in Twin Peaks, why didn't you tell me?

Relevance to the UK? Nil.

Sorry for being grumpy, but this is nonsense for a UK website. “

PH is much more than a UK website. I happen to have deep ties to (Including a Porsche in storage in ) Britain but now live in N America - have been looking at an SUV for some time and this article hit the spot.

No American car site comes close to PH btw

BenjiA

300 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
I agree, PH is great, I love cars, and I'm 45, but the Bronco means nothing to me (being from UK)....there's nothing in this article that explains why I should care that it is back...feels like a PR piece as there's no pictures of the old one. Feels a bit like Ford re-using the Puma name whilst delivering a completely different vehicle. Car might be great - but show us some pictures of what a Bronco used to look like so we can compare....

BenjiA

300 posts

209 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
I'm really not here to start a fight - I mean I would not pay much for a defender, but $90k for this???

I'll have the new one...

marko370Z

3 posts

51 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Ok, so the word sport has lost all meaning now, in any automotive sense. I don't see that "sport" being used for anything sporty.

Honeywell

1,368 posts

97 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Fantastic re-launch of a major type of vehicle these days. Looks awesome. I like that PH content is not parochial to just the U.K.

The American motor scene is of interest to any true PistonHead. This IS NOT Whatcar solely focussed on U.K. consumer advice for motorists...

oilit

2,618 posts

177 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
I agree that I think Pistonheads is not exclusively for the UK, likewise many car manufacturers don't sell into just the UK......

As for the Bronco - it became famous globally due to that infamous car chase with OJ



Externally I think it looks better than the defender, but the interior/dash is awful - where have all the good interior designers gone ??

rodericb

6,660 posts

125 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
the old Bronco probably didn't mean much in the UK when you had land rovers but now that most people seem to be ditching "cars" for SUV's and pushing further along that concept with all the different types and sizes of SUV then this Bronco is more relevant in UK 2020 than UK 1978.....

RangeyRover

6 posts

73 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
The original Bronco was used as development for coil sprung Range Rovers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Range_Rover_Classic
Don't understand the prices for the old Bronco, in the same way as I don't understand the prices for old Range Rovers

drpep

1,758 posts

167 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
BrunoVC said:
“Ah $50k. Beautiful. amazing. That's the crap truck Ed drove in Twin Peaks, why didn't you tell me?

Relevance to the UK? Nil.

Sorry for being grumpy, but this is nonsense for a UK website. “

PH is much more than a UK website. I happen to have deep ties to (Including a Porsche in storage in ) Britain but now live in N America - have been looking at an SUV for some time and this article hit the spot.

No American car site comes close to PH btw
This. Seriously, I've been living in the US for 6+ years now and still come back to PH for my car news, partly because the editorial quality (with all of its flaws and foibles) is still more palatable than Jalopnik and it's kin.

As for the Bronco, it looks fantastic. Probably largely irrelevant/pointless in the UK but a great road-trip/escape vehicle over here, especially on the west coast with desert and wilderness to explore. I'm sure it'll find it's way to Avis/Hertz et al as a rental special.

Billy_Whizzzz

1,991 posts

142 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
BenjiA said:
Call me a little Englander or whatever you like
Oh, ok: Little englander.
For the life of me, I can’t see why some weird accident of birth should make me care more or less about cars from one particular country and not from others. I’m interested in cars, regardless of where they come from. Really can’t see why if you’re interested in cars, you’re only interested in UK cars. For the love of god, there’s a big world out there, and I’m sorry little englander, but it’s a lot bigger than your little disunited kingdom.


Mapt

18 posts

49 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
ash73 said:
Er, no. The little'un looks fantastic!

That’s still the ‘big Bronco’, just the 2dr version. There’s a smaller Bronco Sport (based on the Escape) that isn’t as rugged as it’s big brother.

Iknownothin

110 posts

129 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
ash73 said:
article said:
...it's the big boy Bronco that is of most interest...
Er, no. The little'un looks fantastic!

That is the "big boy bronco", the two door version of it. The "small one" is referring to the sport model which is the 4 door yellow one in the pictures which looks like the discovery sport.

Makes the new defender look soulless

Numeric

1,393 posts

150 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
It's the same formula as the Defender exactly - tapping some feeling for adventure and memory of past times - clearly the zeitgeist of the moment - both got me interested from a semi nostalgia point of view, and actually I think both are very good as pastiche vehicles, if I ignore the small Bronco.

I'm sure they are both very competent but I suspect few will venture far off the beaten track with their first owners, they are lifestyle vehicles and all the better for it, with much better driving characteristics as a result, both the earlier Defender and full size Bronco were horrid and the elk test for the Bronco 2 was a bit - um worrying. So I wish both the Defender and this good sales to people who for the most part want a practical vehicle which allows them to pretend to be 'country' or 'adventurous' and if you feel I am being harsh then look at the sales literature.

I also think it very relevant for a car site - a good comparison with a European car and educational in showing trends in an industry that produces the things we presumably love.

But owner number six will be fitting a snorkel. :-) so they will get their day in the mud!!!

Edited by Numeric on Tuesday 14th July 06:46

petemurphy

10,108 posts

182 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
thats great and yes exactly what the defender should have been

Bill

52,483 posts

254 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Wadeski said:
Defender looking a little silly now.
Quite the opposite imo (Although I get what you mean...). The Defender looks dull and lacking innovation in comparison.

It's ace, a great hire car. But you'd look daft in one in the UK.

Hugh Jarse

3,486 posts

204 months

Tuesday 14th July 2020
quotequote all
Billy_Whizzzz said:
BenjiA said:
Call me a little Englander or whatever you like
Oh, ok: Little englander.
For the life of me, I can’t see why some weird accident of birth should make me care more or less about cars from one particular country and not from others. I’m interested in cars, regardless of where they come from. Really can’t see why if you’re interested in cars, you’re only interested in UK cars. For the love of god, there’s a big world out there, and I’m sorry little englander, but it’s a lot bigger than your little disunited kingdom.
Car looks great. Big wide North America certainly has the land and scape to justify a vehicle like this.
Im as jingoistic as anyone, but that first comment garbage was ueber langweilig kleiner Englander.