{"id":25697,"date":"2020-07-15T13:38:30","date_gmt":"2020-07-15T17:38:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=25697"},"modified":"2020-07-15T13:38:30","modified_gmt":"2020-07-15T17:38:30","slug":"new-ford-bronco-debuts-challenges-jeep-for-king-of-the-hill","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2020\/07\/new-ford-bronco-debuts-challenges-jeep-for-king-of-the-hill","title":{"rendered":"New Ford Bronco debuts, challenges Jeep for king of the hill"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"The<\/p>\n<\/div>

Ford took direct aim at Jeep on\u00a0Monday night with the resurrection of the off-road Bronco.<\/p>\n

Starting at $29,995 \u2014 virtually identical to the $29,790 Jeep Wrangler \u2014 the two- and four-door Broncos go toe-to-toe with the Jeep with similar tools: standard four-wheel drive, the truck-based\u00a0ladder frame of the Ford Ranger, removable doors and roof, rear-mounted spare tire, detachable sway-bar\u00a0and low-speed transfer case.<\/p>\n

The 2021 models harken\u00a0back to the first-generation Bronco that debuted in 1966 but\u00a0come\u00a0updated with 21st-century design and technology.<\/p>\n

Ford says the Bronco intends to up the ante with high-tech gizmos, such as a camera that can peek over hills and\u00a0a low-speed version of adaptive cruise control that\u00a0allows pedal-free off-road driving.<\/p>\n

The smaller Bronco Sport that debuted Monday,\u00a0meanwhile, is built on the same unibody chassis as Ford\u2019s best-selling Escape SUV. It expands the Blue Oval\u2019s presence in the compact SUV segment (the industry\u2019s largest outside pickups), just as Jeep\u2019s Cherokee and Compass complement the Wrangler. Pricing starts at\u00a0$28,155.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWe created the Bronco family to elevate every aspect of off-road adventure and equipped them with class-leading chassis hardware and exclusive technologies,\u201d said Jim Farley, Ford’s chief operating officer. \u201cThey\u2019re built with the toughness of an F-Series truck and performance spirit of Mustang \u2014 and come wrapped in\u00a0the original Bronco design DNA.\u201d<\/p>\n

For design cues, Ford\u00a0reached\u00a0back to the original compact 1966 dirt-kicker, not the larger F-150-based version\u00a0discontinued after the 1996 model year.\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s designed for function, not fashion,\u201d chief designer Paul Wraith said.<\/p>\n

The bigger Broncos<\/h3>\n

The 2021 Bronco\u00a0boasts signature round headlights connected by a horizontal grille emblazoned with the Bronco name. The rest of the body is simple and boxy with an upright windshield, single-piece twin taillights, a spare tire that hangs off the rear swing\u00a0door. Mirrors\u00a0are mounted on the A-pillars.<\/p>\n

The latter is key to the removable doors so riders can get closer to nature.<\/p>\n

Unlike the Wrangler, Bronco’s\u00a0doors don’t have window frames, and Ford claims their removal is easier\u00a0thanks to simpler latches and wire-plug decouplers.\u00a0In the longer four-door version, doors can be stowed in bags and stored\u00a0in\u00a0back.<\/p>\n

Roof panels atop the steel roll cage\u00a0are also removable\u00a0(a soft top is optional). Inside is a console anchored by an 8- or 12-inch screen. Grab handles for when the going gets tough are located on the center console and dash.<\/p>\n

The interior\u00a0is designed to be hosed down after muddy\u00a0forays, and an optional rubber floor and vinyl seats are\u00a0available.<\/p>\n

One of the most striking differences between Wrangler and Bronco is the latter\u2019s electronic transfer-case for off-roading. Jeep customers swear by their mechanical unit\u00a0\u2013 its second gear-shift sprouting\u00a0between the seats \u2014 to limit the chance of electrical failure far from home. But the Bronco\u2019s electronic, rotary-dial-operated\u00a0system will likely\u00a0be\u00a0easier to move\u00a0between 4×4 configurations (think of a rotary Escape shifter\u00a0compared to a manual stick shift).<\/p>\n

The so-called GOAT dial (Goes Over\u00a0Any Terrain) contains\u00a0up to seven\u00a0driving modes, including Slippery, Baja and Rock Crawl.<\/p>\n

That analog vs. electronic\u00a0theme is replicated elsewhere as the Jeep holds true to its raw off-road legacy, where the Ford focuses on the technology that has defined its F-150 pickups.<\/p>\n

Under the skin, for example, Bronco counters the Jeep\u2019s solid front axle with an independent front suspension (both have solid rear axles), which Ford contends is better for\u00a0daily driving. Still, Bronco will offer a detachable sway-bar\u00a0in its Badlands\u00a0trim\u00a0to allow extreme wheel articulation\u00a0when clambering over\u00a0rocks like Jeep\u2019s legendary Rubicon model.<\/p>\n

For all its ruggedness, Jeep has set a high bar in infotainment tech with its\u00a0heralded Uconnect system. Ford claims to match it\u00a0\u2014 and more. The Bronco and Bronco Sport come\u00a0equipped with Ford\u2019s latest\u00a0SYNC 4 system, which offers standard CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity as well as over-the-air updated to improve\u00a0vehicles over time.\u00a0The Bronco tops it off with more than 1,000 digitally curated trail maps.<\/p>\n

Under the hood, the Bronco offers two members of its Ecoboost engine family:\u00a0a 2.7-liter V-6 and 2.3-liter turbo-4. The V-6 puts\u00a0out 310 horses\u00a0and 400 pound-feet of torque, with the 2.3-liter listing at 270 and 310.<\/p>\n

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