We finally got all the details about the all-new 2021 Ford Bronco lineup of vehicles. This isn’t just another 2-door Bronco, but instead a full new sub-brand of Ford. We’re getting a 2 and 4-door Bronco as well as a Bronco Sport model. All three of these vehicles offer 4×4 standard and are built for off-road adventures.
Ford left us with wanting little to nothing more from the new Bronco lineup. All three vehicles offer super cool and unique features that make them stand out from the crowd. We have little doubt the 2021 Bronco lineup will be a huge success and be a brand worth paying attention to for many years ahead.
If you’re as excited as we are about these new Bronco’s you’ll want to get your orders in now. You can reserve your very own 2021 Ford Bronco at Ford.com now. Ford will start producing the Bronco in early 2021. New Bronco are expected to start hitting Ford dealerships in Spring 2021.
Let’s dive into some of the highlights from the big reveal about this much-anticipated adventure machine. First the 2 and 4-door Bronco and then the Bronco Sport.
2021 Ford Bronco
Ford has seen the light, and the impressive sales numbers, of the Jeep Wrangler, off-road capable SUV, market. There is no reason to beat around the bush, the 2021 Ford Bronco is a/the direct competitor to the Jeep Wrangler. Both are super off-road capable 4×4 SUV, offered in both 2 and 4-door. Both vehicles have removable roofs, removable doors, and a rugged interior that can hold up to a bit of weather. Ford also understands that very few Wranglers ever stay stock, so it offers a ton of upgrades and personalization options at the time of the Bronco launch.
Not only are there more than 200 factory-backed accessories on offer at the time of the Bronco’s debut, but it comes in seven unique models as well. Choose from Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Wildtrak, Badlands, and First Edition Bronco models.
Bronco By The Numbers
The base price for the 2021 Bronco 2-door is $29,995. The base price on the 4-door is $34,695. We have no doubt that top-spec versions will be well north of $50,000, but prices have not been announced just yet.
The base engine for the 2021 Bronco is the 2.3-liter twin-turbocharged I4 Ecoboost. Rated at 270 hp and 310 lb.-ft of torque. There is also an optional 2.7-liter twin-turbocharged I4 Ecoboost available. The 2.7-liter is rated at 310 hp and 400 lb.-ft. of torque. With the optional 2.7-liter engine the new Bronco will offer 25 hp more than the top-spec Wrangler. That is likely to change, however, as the Wrangler Rubicon 392 Concept was just revealed, with a 6.4-liter V-8 HEMI under the hood good for 450 hp. Let the 20th-century off-road horsepower wars begin!
Bronco gets a 7-speed manual transmission as standard equipment. Sadly the manual transmission is only available on the base motor option, however. On both engine options, an optional 10-speed automatic transmission is available.
30-inch AT tires come on the base Bronco. With the Sasquatch, Wildtrak, and First Edition models you get a 35-inch tire option. You only get a 32.7-inch tire on the top-spec Wrangler Rubicon from the factory. There are a bunch of 16 and 17-inch wheel options on offer for the Bronco. All of these tire and wheel options offer lots of tire sidewall for comfort and capability when off-road.
We all know that ground clearance is king when off-road. The 2021 Bronco offers up to 11.6-inches of obstacle-clearing height. As a reference, Wrangler Rubicon offers 10.8-inches of ground clearance. To top it off, the new Bronco has 3.5-inches more water fording capability than the Wrangler and competitive breakover and departure angles.
The new Broncos have nearly identical payload capacity (1,170-1,370 lbs.) and towing capacity (3,500 lbs.) to the Jeep Wrangler.
Massive roof capacity, of 450-pounds, is a standout feature of the new Bronco. Not only is that good for carrying lots of gear and modern roof-top-tents, but is a few hundred pounds more than the Wrangler offers.
Awesome Bronco Features
Sure the 2021 Bronco is impressive looking and has some truly impressive specifications, but it also has a ton of impressive features and details. A prime example is the massive open-air feel when the roof is off. There is no center bar, like Wrangler’s have.
Right up front, and behind, the new Bronco are big off-road recovery tow hooks. On top-spec models these stick out of a heavy-duty modular steel bumper, with integrated winch mount.
Other important off-road options include the new G.O.A.T Modes terrain response off-road driving mode system, Trail Control off-road cruise control, and 360 aerial view and front trial camera systems. Besides all that tech, sway bar disconnect is on offer, as well as front and rear Spicer e-lockers. You’ll find coilover shocks at all four corners, with optional Bilstein position-sensitive dampers on offer. A Dana IFS front diff/axel system and Dana 44 solid rear axel should make the new Bronco great in all-terrain conditions.
Inside the new Bronco there are too many cool options to talk about. The optional 12-inch infotainment screen is impressive and should come in useful with all the cameras and other tech on board. On top of the dash is also a very cool “bring-your-own-device rack.” This rail system allows you to securely mount a whole host of aftermarket accessories, like smartphones, GoPro, GPS, etc…
One really cool trick the new Bronco has up its sleeve is that on the 4-door models all the doors can be removed and stowed in the rear cargo area in custom bags. This means that you can drive the highway with the doors on and get to the trailhead or beach and remove the doors easily in the field. Stow them in the back and adventure on with the doors off. Cowl-mounted mirrors make door removable even easier, as with the Wrangler you have to relocate the mirrors when removing the doors. “Trail sights” on the front fenders not only look cool, but have a 150-pound capacity for securing roof loads like kayaks, or installing limb risers.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport
The Bronco Sport is the Bronco’s little sibling. This small SUV offers a ton of the rugged looks and capability of the Bronco, but in a smaller more urban-friendly package. It does not offer the removable doors, roof, or many of the more hardcore off-road features (like solid rear axel, sway bar disconnect, 35-inch tires, etc…) of its big brothers, however. You can option a rear locker though, and 29-inch tires are impressive for its class. I think the Bronco Sport looks a lot like a more rugged Ford version of the Land Rover LR2.
Hau Thai-Tang, Ford chief product development and purchasing officer, sums up the 2021 Bronco Sport well: “Bronco Sport has the toughness and smarts to help turn off-road novices into 4×4 pros,” Thai-Tang said. “Bronco Sport embraces the needs of outdoor enthusiasts – every inch of it was designed and engineered with weekend adventurers in mind.”
The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport comes in five unique models including Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, and First Edition.
Bronco Sport By The Numbers
The base price for the 2021 Bronco Sport Base is $28,155. We’d wager that a top-spec version just breaks $40,000, but no official pricing has been announced above the base price.
The tiny 1.5-liter turbocharged EcoBoost comes standard in the Bronco Sport. It puts out 181 hp and 190 lb.-ft. of torque. An optional 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost putting out 245 hp and 275 lb.-ft. of torque is available. Both engine options come with an 8-speed automatic transmission. The “big” 2.0-liter engine option can be optioned with a SelectShift transmission for manual shifting through paddle-shifters.
The Bronco Sport get fully independent suspension, like nearly all modern SUV. That is of course besides the Wrangler and new Bronco. The Wrangler having solid axles at both ends and the Bronco having IFS and a solid rear axle. This setup and design gives the Bronco Sport a very respectable 8.8-inches of ground clearance.
Bronco Sport Features
As with the full-sized Bronco, the Bronco Sport will be highly customizable. Right off the bat, Ford will offer more than 100 factory-backed and aftermarket accessories. Many of the Bronco Sport accessories will be focused on outdoor adventure sports gear-hauling and camping. One such awesome accessory is a mountain bike rack that allows you to mount two upright bikes inside. Another is a very cool slide-out table in the rear cargo area, perfect for using as a camp kitchen.
As with all modern vehicles the Bronco Sport is packed with safety and driver assistance technology. 2021 Bronco Sport comes even comes with Trail Control, basically off-road cruise control. It can work up to 20 mph forward and 6 mph in reverse, impressively high speeds for this type of system. An 8-inch touch screen infotainment system runs Ford’s SYNC 3 system, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
As with the big Bronco, there are too many cool little details to go over in just one story about the Bronco Sport. Impressive though, are the built-in storage compartments, like in the seatbacks and under the rear seats. You can even get Molle straps on the backs of the front seats, for securing a wide range of gear for quick access.
2021 Ford Bronco Range: Which Do You Want?
If you couldn’t tell, we’re excited. Ford has revitalized the classic Bronco nameplate into a full line of impressive off-road capable adventure vehicles. The Bronco brand will no doubt go toe to toe with Jeep for many years to come.
Which of these new Broncos would you put in your driveway? I think I’d take a 4-door Bronco First Edition in Ford’s Velocity Blue.
