NEW FORD BRONCO · LAMBO SIÁN ROADSTER
Ford takes a swing at Wrangler and Defender... and hits it out the park. The Bronco is back and we want one
The Bronco is back to bludgeon the competition into muddy submission. Plus a 1,400bhp Ford Mustang Mach-E and the Lambo Sián Roadster
Ford really isn’t messing around. After a 24-year break, the Bronco is back, and it wants for nothing more than to bludgeon the Jeep Wrangler and Land Rover Defender into a muddy submission. And on the strength of its spec, looks and price, it could well do just that.
Available with either two or four doors, the big Bronco (there’s a smaller Bronco Sport too... more on that later) is based on the same platform as the Ford Ranger pickup
– a “fully boxed, high-strength steel chassis” that allows for 17 per cent more suspension travel than “the closest competitor”.
Naturally four-wheel drive is standard – base spec cars get a two-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case, while the ‘Advanced’ system has a two-speed electromechanical transfer case for auto shifting between 2H and 4H.
As for engines, you get the choice of a four-cylinder with 270bhp and 310lb ft, or a 2.7-litre V6 with 310bhp and 400lb ft. Both turbocharged, both petrol, both with 10-speed automatic transmissions. Though the four-cylinder gets the option of a clever seven-speed manual – six regular ratios plus a crawler gear for the really serious stuff.
Zero to 62mph? Top speed? Unimportant. What is: Ford promises 295mm of ground clearance, breakover and departure angles of 29 and 37.2 degrees and an 851mm wading depth. Independent front suspension is backed up with a fivelink solid axle at the rear.
You can get 35-inch tyres and beadlock wheels, plus heaps more serious off-road tech
like long travel, position sensitive Bilstein dampers and Spicer electronic locking differentials. High-spec Broncos get steel shields to protect the engine, transmission, transfer case and fuel tank, and you can have heavy duty steel bumpers with space for an integrated winch, plus rock rails strong enough to support the 4x4’s entire weight. There are up to seven drive modes – including Sand/Baja, Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. Trail Control is effectively low speed cruise control, while Trail Turn Assist uses torque vectoring to tighten the Bronco’s turning radius by overspeeding the outside wheel. Meanwhile, the satnav gives access to topographical trail maps.
Enough tech already, onto the design. Unsurprisingly, Ford has gone down the retro route. Indeed, design work started with a 3D scan of the first-gen Bronco “that served to influence the proportions and design” of the new one. We think it looks superb. Two-door Broncos get a roof that can be removed in three sections, while four-door models have four removable sections and an optional soft-top. All Broncos get removable frameless doors, plus sights on the front wings that also serve as tie-downs.
Inside – which if you’ve taken the roof and doors off isn’t really inside at all – materials are tough and hard wearing. Some models get hose down interiors with marine grade vinyl seats and drain plugs. The screen is up to 12 inches across and runs Ford’s latest SYNC4 infotainment system, plus there’s a mounting point on top of the dash for a “bring your own device rack” for phones, GoPros etc.
There are seven different Bronco specs on offer – all of which look excellent – plus loads of options (get the Sasquatch Package, trust us) and some 200 accessories you can get from your dealer (light bars, those doors with holes in and so on).
Prices start at $29,995 for the two-door – the equivalent of around £23,700. Likelihood of it coming to the UK in right-hand drive? Slim to non-existent. But hey, you could always buy one and stick it on a boat to Blighty. We’re tempted. Americans can reserve one now for $100 on Ford’s website.
The Bronco Sport (left, in red) is not really a Bronco. It’s a Ford Kuga/Focus with a Bronco-inspired body, so it’s much smaller. But nonetheless Ford claims it’ll be good off-road, with standard all-wheel drive, the big Bronco’s Terrain Management System and electronics and serious suspension (hydraulic rebound stops, 46mm diameter monotube rear shocks). It can even wade through 600mm of water – which isn’t bad at all. Looks like a pretty useful bit of kit to us. Shame that, like the big Bronco, it probably won’t be coming to the UK. The campaign for Ford to rethink that starts here.
“AFTER A 24-YEAR BREAK, THE FORD BRONCO IS BACK”