The Ford Bronco is anything but an ordinary car. Not only does it look like a rugged off-roader, but in the wilderness it will show that it is no sissy. With a price tag of nearly two million, it won’t be for everyone, but an off-road fan couldn’t ask for a better Ford.
A legend in America, a car for connoisseurs in Europe. Ford has officially started selling a car on the old continent that has been an icon across the ocean for many years. The first Bronco came on the market in 1966 and is essentially a car with the same character as the rival Jeep Wrangler.
Other generations followed, until the Explorer model came on the market in 1996. Bronco then took a twenty-five-year hiatus.
So in 2021, the modern Bronco arrived with great fanfare. Europe had to wait (unless someone turned to individual imports), but its moment is coming right now. The roughest Ford, if we exclude the Ranger pick-up, is here. The editors drove both offered models through the terrain of the Pístovské wetlands, spending a week on the road with one of them. And it provides an overview of what you should know about the car.
1. Truncated offer
The European offer is poorer than the American one. The two-door model is missing, as is the version with a canvas roof, so there is only one body. There is still the possibility to remove the roof panels and doors. In addition, Ford boasts that it takes much less time to dismantle the car than the competing Jeep. And that – in theory – the traffic police should not have a problem during the inspection. What the practice is, but no one knows, not even at Ford.
There is only one engine – it is a 2.7 EcoBoost six-cylinder petrol engine with a ten-speed automatic, which the Ranger also has, only in the Bronco it is modified to handle even more frequent off-road trips.
2. Two-egg twins – either more off-road or on-road
There are two types of equipment, the Outer Banks road version, but the Badlands is more suitable for off-road use. You can distinguish them quite easily, besides the fact that they have a label on the sides with an inscription. The Outer Banks has a slightly different grille, painted fender flares, and also larger, 18″ wheels with lower-profile road tires.
After all, Badlands is better equipped for the terrain – the discs are an inch smaller, but the tire has a larger profile. The wheels are fitted with off-road grabs. The side sills have protective edges so that they are not easily damaged in the rocks, the chassis is covered by a protective plate. The suspension is set more to the terrain, and the special Bilstein shock absorbers received a 40 mm longer suspension travel.
Ford is boasting important figures that confirm just how serious the Bronco is about off-roading. Whether it is the approach, overpass or rear angle, so is the clearance of the chassis. The Outer Banks has a ground clearance of 237mm, the Badlands 261mm. This surpasses the Jeep Wrangler (237 mm) and its sister Ranger (233 mm).
3. He is unstoppable in the field
Testing the Bronco in a challenging environment is absolutely essential to understand its nature and experience what it is capable of. The editors were given the opportunity to drive in the Pístovské wetlands near Jihlava, which is a former military area. By the way, anyone can ride here for the whole day for 300 crowns. We recommend as a tip where to go off-roading.
But back to the Bronco. All-wheel drive systems are expanded for the Badlands – torque can be transferred between the front and rear axles, the Outer Banks loses the ability to lock differentials, as well as the ability to disconnect the front stabilizer bar. Thanks to this, the front left or right wheel can get into an even more extreme position and drive through even rougher terrain.
4. The cliché about turning around on a fiver
The Bronco has an interesting helper that Ford calls Trail Turn Assist. Just press the rubber-coated button on the top panel of the dashboard and the turning radius will be reduced by 40 percent. The rear inner wheel will lock and the car will turn much better on its axis.
It is an ideal feature in difficult terrain where there is very little space, such as around a tree. The system works when a heavy four-wheel drive or at least permanent four-wheel drive is engaged and up to a speed of 20 km/h. And he is really a great helper.
5. Design sells and the Bronco has style
There is no doubt that she can capture hearts at a glance. It looks like a cube on wheels that blatantly ignores the rules of aerodynamics. The unmistakable Bronco inscription shines on the mask. The design follows the first generation, which is only good.
Daytime running lights – a circle with a horizontal line – are the main identifying sign of the car, which attracts the attention of the surroundings. It can be described as a tough guy with a cool design. And that’s why someone is constantly turning to him.
But the horse, a typical symbol for the Ford brand, does not rear up in the Bronco. As soon as you sit behind the steering wheel and the robust dashboard, the graphics start up on the display, where the rolling stones form a horse, which digs menacingly into the ground with its front legs. This logo appears in various places on the car, similar to the toy car logo in the Wrangler.
6. Practitioner in detail
The interior honors practicality above all, so what could be made of plastic or rubber, is made of plastic and rubber. So that everything can be washed well. The handles will come in handy, either when a smaller driver is trying to climb into the car, or for a passenger to not lose stability when climbing hills or driving through mud.
The solution of the fifth door with a holder for the reserve and the trunk is the same as in the Wrangler, the lid opens to the right side, then the top glass can be raised. The trunk is practically rectangular and after folding the rear seats, a huge area is created where you could sleep. Bronco is a practitioner.
And this also applies to various details. For example, there are ready-made AUX sockets with separate electronics on the roof, if the owner buys, for example, a winch, a light ramp or any other accessories. Just plug it in.
Ford has something for everyone – the Outer Banks (pictured) is more civilized, the Badlands more off-road. | Photo: Eva Srpová
7. It works on the road, but…
The Bronco is an off-road car, so you have to expect that it behaves a little rough on the road, but within the limits of the norm. Sometimes it jumps or wobbles on road waves, it rattles from somewhere behind the driver’s head.
But these are small things that you have to forgive him, because his talent is to be shown elsewhere. Wherever smooth asphalt ends. In its defense, it has to be admitted that even the Wrangler isn’t much more refined.
The Bronco is also pleased with the six-cylinder engine, which likes to rev and, thanks to the automatic, moves at such speeds that suit it, so it seems agile. And that’s a good thing, because its 246 kW and 563 Nm have to cope with a weight of almost 2.3 tons.
What else needs to be forgiven for the Bronco? Of course, consumption that will not please the thrifty. The gasoline V6 hardly gets below 10 liters per hundred kilometers driven, with highway movements it rather rises to 13. It is hard to blame the Bronco. Such values mean nothing to an American. And the European has to get used to it.
8. A car for those who know exactly what they want
You need to save at least 1,849,900 crowns for the Bronco. The Badlands version is 105 thousand crowns more expensive. The Bronco should be purchased by those who are really serious about off-road driving and use the car as a vehicle for trips into the wilderness. That is exactly what it is made for. A tough guy in body and soul.
2023-09-05 03:49:37
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