BRONCO MANIA

There hasn’t been this much buzz about a Bronco since O.J. Simpson went on that famous 1994 televised high speed chase in his ’93 Ford Bronco. Sales of white Ford Broncos went through the roof. 37,000 Broncos were sold that year, more than the previous year. Ford discontinued the Bronco in 1996, replacing it with the Expedition and larger model Excursion.

In 2017, at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan, Ford stole the headlines, announcing the return of the Bronco. Enthusiasts would-be put-on hold for another four years before the official release that came in early July of this year. Story: Shaun Ochsner Photos: Courtesy of Ford Motor Company

Ford will release seven Bronco models with 11 color choices. Additionally, Ford is releasing a Bronco Sport to compete with the small SUV market. The sport will come in five trim models.

The Bronco has always come in a 2-door model. With the new release, Ford has decided to make first-ever 4-door models. There are two 4x4 systems options. A base set-up and advanced. The base system utilizes a normal two-speed electronic shifton-the fly transfer case while the advanced system features a twospeed electromechanical transfer case. There is an auto mode for ondemand selection between 2-High and 4-High. Power is distributed to a Dana 44 AdvanTek solid real axle and Dana front differential unit.

The Bronco comes with plenty of exclusive technologies to navigate off-road terrain. The Trail Control mode can be set for low-speed trail driving. Trail Turn assist tightens off-road turning radiuses through torque vectoring and Trail One-and

Pedal Drive sets the acceleration braking controls for precise slow-mode rock crawling. Ford boasts the Bronco can travel through 33.5 inches of water with its 37.2-degree departure angle and 11.6-inch stock ground clearance. The Bronco comes stock with 35-inch tires. There are heavy duty modular steel bumpers with an integrated winch mount and exposed tow hooks. Large items such as canoes and surfboards can be tied down to

points on the front bumper. Higher trim models get plate shields for the engine, transmission and transfer case.

The vehicle is built with Ford’s high strength steel. Its nimble suspension set-up is achieved with long-travel position sensitive Bilstein dampers with end-stop control valves. Ford tested the Bronco extensively on the punishing Hammer trails in Johnson Valley.

The Bronco can be ordered with a 7-speed manual or 10-speed automatic transmission. The vehicle comes with a 2.7-Liter EcoBoost V6 engine which Ford says churns out 310 horsepower. There is also a 2.3-Liter EcoBoost option. Ford did not release any diesel options.

Taking a page out of the Jeep design, the Bronco’s modular hardtops have rear quarter windows that can be removed in three easy steps. A cloth softop can also be installed. The doors can also easily be removed and stored in the vehicle with protective bags.

The interior has all of the latest tech including 12-volt accessory ports for charging and mounting phones, GPS units, cameras and other devices. The seat back has MOLLE hooks for all of your extra storage pouches. There are 1,000 advanced topographic trail maps that can be brought up on the 12- inch interior screen. Some Bronco models come with washable rubberized floors and integrated drains along with marine-grade vinyl seating surfaces that are mildew resistant. This makes the clean-up after a dusty dirty trip much easier.

Pricing for the two-door base model starts at $29,995 and will be available Spring 2021. Ford is currently taking reservations on their website.