Driven: Ford's reborn off-road hero

What is it?

A revived version of Ford’s iconic off-roader from the 1960s and ‘70s. The Bronco was a staple of the blue oval’s line-up for decades, beginning life as a rival to the original Toyota LandCruiser and Jeep CJ-5 before evolving into more of an SUV by the 1990s; when it was discontinued.

READ MORE: The Ford Bronco is back!

Torquecafe was part of a select group of Australian motoring media to recently drive the Bronco in the USA, specifically the recently launched Heritage edition. Although there are no immediate plans for the Bronco to launch in Australia, Ford’s global CEO, Jim Farley, has hinted it’s possible once US demand slows and supply can be increased to cater for right-hand drive markets.

Does it have any racing pedigree?

The Bronco has been racing since the beginning, famously winning the 1969 Baja 1000 off-road race in Mexico. In doing so it became the first – and so far, only – production-based vehicle to win the famous desert race outright.

Ford wasted little time getting this new-generation Bronco into off-road racing, entering the 2020 Baja 1000 with a prototype Bronco R and then launched the Bronco Desert Racer in ‘21. The latter is an extreme off-road racing machine built in partnership between Ford Performance and Multimatic, featuring a 5.0-litre V8 engine and high-performance racing shock absorbers, as well as a raft of other changes.

What’s under the bonnet?

The Heritage edition Bronco we drove was powered by Ford’s EcoBoost 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, which is the entry-level motor for the range. There’s also a 2.7-litre V6 turbo available, while a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 powered the Bronco Raptor.

The EcoBoost makes up to 223kW of power and 440Nm of torque, so while it may sound small on paper it makes a healthy amount of performance. Our test car was fitted with a seven-speed manual gearbox, but rather than having an extra-tall overdrive gear for highway cruising, the seventh gear is actually an ultra-low speed ‘Crawler’ for off-road driving.

The engine does an admirable job of motivating the Bronco most of the time, although you will find yourself working the gearbox down to fourth or even third when you need to climb a hill. But for those more worried about driveability and economy rather than outright power, the EcoBoost is a good fit for the Bronco.

How does it handle?

We spent several days behind the wheel of the Bronco, taking in a road trip across the American south with a variety of highway stretches, some winding rural roads and a fair share of urban commuting. It was a good mix to see how the Bronco would handle day-to-day life in Australia, where we love off-road driving but tend to live in urban centres.

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Despite its clear off-road focus, the Bronco is a comfortable and refined sealed road machine. It soaks up bumps well (unsurprisingly), steers with accuracy and is well-mannered in any condition. Even pushing it through some twisty mountain roads the Bronco felt poised and stable.

All this is a testament to the work done by the Ford Australian engineers on the T6 platform, which clearly provided a great base for the Bronco to be built upon.

Where would you most like to drive it?

Unfortunately our test drive was limited to paved roads, so it would be great to take the Bronco into the wilderness to see how it handles itself off-road. Because it certainly has the hardware to be an impressive off-roader, with Ford’s ‘HOSS 1.0’ off-road suspension and a 4×4 system with terrain select settings for Mud/Ruts, Sand and Rocky conditions.

The Heritage edition we drove was fitted with 17-inch alloy wheels and huge 35-inch tyres, which clearly signal its intentions.

Ford claims an approach angle of 43.2 degrees, a breakover angle of 29.0 degrees and a departure angle of 37.2 degrees, plus ground clearance of 294mm and up to 850mm of water fording capability.

What’s the interior like?

In this reviewer’s opinion, Ford has nailed the design brief for this revived Bronco, striking just the right balance between retro elements and contemporary themes. That applies to both the exterior and interior, with Ford trying to recapture the iconic designs from the Bronco’s early days in the ‘60s and ‘70s.

Despite sitting atop the same platform as the Ranger, there’s no design similarities between the two Fords. The Bronco has a unique appearance that fits its rugged nature while still providing modern touches like the digital instrument display and the infotainment screen with Ford’s latest SYNC4 interface.

The Bronco is available in either two- or four-door variants and both can be optioned with either a removable soft-top or hard-top. Both models also come with removable doors, so you can really feel at one with nature when you’re off-roading.

How much does the Ford Bronco cost?

There’s a broad range of Bronco’s in the US, stretching from the Base (from approx. $52,000) all the way up to the hardcore, high-performance Raptor (approx. $132,000). In addition to these two there are seven other variants – Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks Badlands, Heritage, Wildtrak and Heritage Limited.

The Heritage we drove starts at US$47,105, which converts to approximately $70,000, which is competitive when you consider the four-door Jeep Wrangler line-up starts at $81,450.

Would I buy one?

After spending some quality time behind the wheel of the Bronco I’d definitely be keen to park one in my driveway if and when Ford brings it to Australia. It would complement the Australian lifestyle, as it can be both a stylish urban runabout or rugged off-roader, depending on the need.

And it would make a great addition to the other members of the ‘T6’ family, alongside the Ranger and Everest, cementing Ford as a real adventurous brand in the local market.