The new Ford Bronco Sport is one very welcome addition to the compact SUV segment, offering an adventurous and rugged air among its several soft-roader rivals.
While it may lack the overall punch and capabilities of the full-size Bronco, the new Ford Bronco Sport appears on paper as one of the most interesting SUVs in the market. Customers can choose between a 181 HP 1.5-liter three-cylinder and a 245 HP 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, with both of them paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel-drive.
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The most off-road capable model in the Bronco Sport range is the Badlands, which features a more advanced all-wheel-drive system with a twin-clutch rear-drive unit, similar to that of the last Focus RS, featuring a differential lock.
In addition, every Bronco Sport comes with the much advertised G.O.A.T. driving modes, but the Badlands features an additional two modes (Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl). Add to that the model-specific suspension with larger rear dampers, softer springs, and different anti-roll bars that allow for greater articulation, and you got yourself a very off-road-ready SUV.
However, as Throttle House explains, not everything is great with the Bronco Sport. For starters, the ride quality is a bit busy and rough at times, NVH levels are not very good, while the rear-drive differential doesn’t fully lock as a traditional ones do.
But the Bronco Sport’s adventurous character in combination with the generally cool styling make it more interesting than a lot of its rivals, and that’s perhaps why Ford is going to sell a boatload of them.