On a sunny day at a boulder an hour outside Detroit, Ford had his brand new Bronco and Bronco Sport set up for many masked and socially distant journalists. We were not here to actually drive the cars, which was probably a good idea, since the brand new Holly Oaks ORV Park had some more challenging routes and these were pre-production Broncos. The interiors were still the bare bones plastic of pre-prod cars, but we got a chance to be closer to the car on everyone than ever before.
With Ford drivers at the wheel, we set out to get a glimpse of the Bronco’s off-road bona fides.
The Ford Bronco Sport: Weekend Warrior
The Bronco Sport is certainly the one you are more likely to encounter in a supermarket parking lot than at the top of a sand dune, but that does not mean it is incapable. My driver climbed hills of 19 degrees and threw up water, as they were the only ones standing in the way of lifting his children from swimming practice. The Sport is as wildly adaptable as the Bronco, that there is no reason not to make it in a car for both work and play.
Maybe it was because Ford started me off with a crying run through the off-road course in the Baja 1000 Ford Bronco R, but I was surprised by how smooth the ride was in the Sport. We climbed the same crooked hills, but the bumps were barely blips. This is the car that Ford will earn the big dollar. It’s the suburb especially for those who enjoy having fun in their car.
G / O Media can get a commission
We rode it over rocky hills without sparkling and flooded water, all with the cushy ride SUV buyers expect from their unibody toys. It was quiet and smooth, even over rocky terrain. It’s rare that a car is of everything for everyone and turns out to be good, but the Sport seems to be capable of delivering (of course we will not know for sure until we can actually drive it). It also comes with automatic brakes that allow the driver to run smoothly in inch downhills with confidence. It looks like a more accessible one auto that may even open up casual shoppers to try out some of Bronco’s offroad capabilities.
The Sport I rode with came with the 245 horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 gas engine. That may not sound like much, but it was more than enough for what we used it for. I will admit, however, it did not feel like a Bronco with a capital B. For that kind of captivating, soul-to-trail off-road madness, we would have to take it a step further.
The Ford Bronco: Dirt, mud, and halo
Now this one is what we are here to talk about. I had to drive in the two-door Bronco with a 310 hp, 2.7 liter, twin-turbocharged V6 and it was a shameful pleasure. The extra power over the four-banger was immediately evident and the off-roading courses we hit in the Bronco were much more challenging.
Driving in the new Bronco is more than getting into a time machine. Sure, there are all sorts of modern bells and whistles, but the old-school connection to the track is what fans are after. I’m happy to report that this is where the Bronco shines.
This is an animal that is specifically made to come down and get dirty. My driver used the automatic braking system to hang our 2-door apparently in the midair at a 21-degree incline, and led me to the Douglas Adams line, “hung in the air the same way bricks do not.” He was able to bring the Bronco down automatically that incredibly steep incline half an inch at a time, without shaking, slipping or angry automatic brakes. It was remarkably quiet, even with the top off.
While the pre-prod interior had a few glitches (which we can not really blame Ford on), they were able to demonstrate the multiple wide camera angles that the Bronco can summon to show you exactly where your tires are. are. Prominent to be seen on the dash were a row with the buttons for securing the differences between front and rear, or join Trail Turn Assist to make reasonably fast sharp turns.
It happily chewed deep knees in deep sand and then jumped over them without a second thought. We went most of the course with the confidence that comes from driving an extremely safe foot station. In fact, Ford’s archivists told us that the original Bronco code was called GOAT – Goes Over All Terrain. As you probably already know, the selected off-road settings of the new Bronco are known as GOAT modes.
While we sat at the helm with a knowledgeable off-road driver, the ride never felt violent from the passenger seat. I never even got to the ‘oh shit’ handle. I did not feel too jostled as bound; just the fun kind of engaging bumpy ride that made the return of off-roading like a mass call past time possible.
That really stood out to me: even while I was absolutely flying over the course and connected to rocks and rough terrain, this was still a car comfortable enough to be a daily driver. That is a very difficult balance to strike. We’ll let you know if the other, better known GOAT acronym can be applied to the Bronco if we have the chance to actually ride it.
.
