Top 10 coolest things about the new Ford Bronco

There is a two-door version.

This may not seem like a big deal, but don’t take a two-door SUV here for granted in 2020. These truncated SUVs offer a better angle of advance and are considerably more maneuverable on the road, making them the body style. of choice for serious off-road enthusiasts. While they were popular decades ago, two-door ATVs are a rarity today, and virtually all that have been tried recently, outside of the venerable Jeep Wrangler, of course, have been quietly discontinued in just a few years. If any vehicle can counter the trend, it is the Bronco. No pun intended, of course.

Roof and doors removed, but mirrors stay on

Clearly aimed at the Jeep Wrangler, the Bronco features a removable roof and doors, just like its rival built in Toledo. However, unlike Jeep, Ford has done its best to make the Bronco’s roof and doors easier to handle. Like the Wrangler, the two- and four-door Broncos are available with a three-piece hardtop with two removable panels over the driver and passenger seats.

But the Bronco also offers an optional four-piece hardtop that adds an additional removable panel over the second row, allowing for an open-top experience for all passengers without requiring removal of the bulky rear piece.

Also, unlike the Wrangler which has a crossbeam located just above the second row, the Bronco’s rear crossbeam sits above the cargo area, leaving nothing but open sky above the heads of second-row passengers. . As for the Bronco doors, they come without window frames, making them lighter, easier to transport and perhaps most important of all, capable of being stored in the cargo area, allowing for impromptu removal of the door.

Also on MarketWatch: American muscle: we compare a Chevy Camaro with a Dodge Challenger

Also, unlike the Wrangler, which sees its mirrors located on the front doors, the Bronco’s mirrors are attached to the A-pillars, which means you won’t lose them when you remove the doors.

You can get it with a seven-speed manual transmission

The Bronco will launch with two available engines. The entry-level engine is the same 2.3-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Ranger, and produces the same 270 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque that it has in the Ford midsize truck. This engine comes paired with a ten-speed automatic transmission or a seven-speed smart manual, the lowest gear of which is a special ultra-low caterpillar gear, intended for technical off-road. Top-tier models get Ford’s 2.7-liter turbocharged V6, which will generate 310 horsepower and 400 pound-feet of torque. This engine is paired exclusively with the ten-speed car.

It will launch with tons of accessories.

Given the Bronco’s customization, Ford has announced that they will unveil a full line of accessories for the Bronco before it goes on sale. Think lighting, wheels, tow hooks, winch mounts, roof bars, limb lifters (those cables that go from the front corners to a roof bar), cutout doors, fenders, lift kits, rock sliders , bumpers and more. On top of that, the aftermarket is slowly changing, and companies from Hennessey Performance to ARB are sure to unveil a full line of Bronco products. Rest assured there will be many customization options.

Black diamond and base trims come with steel wheels

Another seemingly minor point, but in the age of ever-increasing wheel diameters, it’s nice to see an automaker embrace simplicity, especially in the form of subtle, utilitarian wheel designs. In off-road space, it’s not uncommon to replace factory tires with smaller, more durable wheels, so it’s great to see Ford offering a set of timeless, simple steel wheels from the factory (for what it’s worth, Land Rover is doing something similar with the new Defender too). Also, the Bronco is said to accept wheels as small as 16 inches, allowing for more side walls, and the side wall is your friend when you venture off-road.

There’s more off-road technology than you might dream of

In its most capable form, the Bronco will include an unprecedented variety of off-road technology; more than you can get in the Jeep Wrangler. Four-wheel drive is standard, and in addition to the two-height, four-height and four-lower modes, the Bronco’s four-wheel drive system will come with an automatic mode, capable of shifting from two to four wheels on the It runs every time the system detects a slip.

The Bronco will be available with locking front and rear differentials, making it one of three vehicles on offer with independent front suspension and a front locker, the other two being the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2 and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. .

Read: The best SUVs under $ 40k

Like its Jeep rival, the Bronco will also offer an available disconnect front stabilizer bar, but the Bronco uses a much more sophisticated design than the Wrangler in that it can be disconnected at full load. Plus, the Bronco has an advantage over the Wrangler when it comes to breakout and departure angles, ground clearance, and water fording ability (the Wrangler barely surpasses it at approach angle). The Bronco is also said to have greater wheel travel than its main rival, despite the use of an independent front suspension.

Finally, the Bronco will offer a ‘Trail Turn’ assist mode and up to seven different drive modes, including Sand, Rock and our F-150 Raptor favorite Baja.

There is something called the Sasquatch package

It’s fair to say that the most slobbery Bronco is anyone using 35-inch tires. To get these, you’ll have to opt for what Ford refers to as the “Sasquatch Package,” and it’s available on all trim levels. In addition to 35-inch tires, the ‘Squatch Pack’ offers 17-inch ball-lock wheels, Bilstein position-sensitive monotube shocks, a 4.7 final gear ratio, high-clearance fender flares and Every SUV’s favorite: front lockout and rear differentials. We can’t help but wonder if the name of this package is not a subtle reference to the legendary Ford F-150 based monster truck known as Bigfoot.

Software is as cool as hardware.

In addition to its killer mechanical features, the Bronco will include a new fourth-generation version of Ford’s Sync infotainment system, which will include core features like Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, along with a unique trail mapping feature that allows riders to Drivers plan, schedule, and follow off-road trail itineraries, and then share them through an integrated social feature. Through the system, you can also access several different mapping services, including Trails Offroad, AccuTerra, and FunTreks. Additionally, the Bronco is available with a massive 12-inch infotainment screen and a 360-degree camera system, ideal for everything from tight parking spots to navigating Hell’s Revenge in Moab.

There is a cross version

Ford appears to be setting up the Bronco nameplate to become its own sub-SUV brand within the company’s larger lineup, and thus has introduced a small crossover called the Bronco Sport alongside the main Bronco. While the Bronco flagship comes with a body-on-frame construction and a solid rear axle, the Bronco Sport mounts on the same unibody platform as the Escape, and features a fully independent suspension. Its closest rivals are the Jeep Compass and the Cherokee.

See also: Ford promises you can return your car within the first year if you lose your job, this is how it works

While it won’t offer the set-up capability of the main Bronco, expect the Bronco Sport to offer decent fuel economy, more comfortable road driving manners, and a lower price, while still being the most capable body-on-frame crossover that exists. when it comes to venturing off the road.