2021 Ford Bronco

What does the new Ford Bronco Look Like?

The 2021 Ford Bronco is a boxy off-roader with a strong old-school vibe to it. The circular LED headlights wrapped within the grille along with the “BRONCO” lettering make it stand out. It comes with steel bumpers and skid plate underneath that gives it the hardcore off-roader persona while enhancing the approach and departure angles. The tow hooks are easy to access, and the bumpers have integrated winch-mounting capability. You can even mount other aftermarket accessories. On some of the trims, the bumpers have removable side caps for better approach angles.

There is a modern high-strength steel roll cage with curtain bags equipped in it to protect the occupants from side impacts. The fenders with trail sights also double up as tie-down points here. The Bronco will ride on 16- to 18-inch wheels as standard. On the higher trims, however, you can have the Bronco with 17-inch Beadlock wheels wrapped in 35-inch mud-terrain tires. The flared out wheel arches and high ride height makes this possible. The higher trims also come with a front bash plate and protective shields for the engine, transmission, transfer case, and fuel tank. You can opt for the side rails as an accessory that are strong enough to withstand the weight of the SUV even if it leans over under any circumstance.

The 2021 Bronco comes with a removable roof and doors, thus making those off-road, open-air adventures all the more interesting.

The doors can be removed and stowed into the cargo area itself, but not the roof. Another interesting thing is that the roof has no beam and gives a great top aerial view. The roof on the two-door models is divided into three sections, whereas the four-door models have a four-section removable roof. Unlike the Jeep Wrangler, the wing mirrors are not mounted on the doors. They are placed underneath the windshield on the cowl, so even if you remove the doors, you will still be able to use them.

How Is The New Ford Bronco On The Inside?

On the inside, the Bronco looks plush, contrary to the general notion that off-roaders are only about their mechanicals and ruggedness.

We won’t be able to comment on the comfort and space yet, but from what we’ve seen so far, it scores good marks. The overall layout of the switches, dials, and buttons gives you the retro feeling. The full-width instrument panel will remind you of the original Bronco. There are multiple trim options to choose from. So far, the company has showcased two themes - a distressed brown with black and yellow accents and a white with gray and red accents. The lighter shade may not be the most practical option for an off-roader, but it looks swell, nevertheless.

Ford has installed a railing on the dash that allows you to mount all sorts of accessories like mobile phones, navigation devices, GoPros, etc. There are 12-volt power connections available as well. All the auxiliary and powertrain switches are silicone-encased, thus making them less prone to damage under harsh weather conditions. There are a lot of Bronco reminders in here. The biggest one is embossed on the passenger’s side dash, then are Bronco-stamped screws, etc.

The two-door Bronco comes with a hardtop as standard, whereas the four-wheel model features a soft top from the factory; but, you can have the latter with a hardtop as well.

Are the Bronco’s roof and doors easy to remove?

The Bronco’s roof and doors are fairly easy to remove and don’t require a lot of hands or tools to dismantle. Ford has equipped frameless doors that make the process easier. The tools to dismantle are provided with the SUV. As mentioned earlier, the doors can be removed, packed into the storage bags and snuck into the cargo area, but you’ll have to leave the roof back at your place.

Is the Ford Bronco Waterproof?

The Ford Bronco 2021 receives rubberized, washable flooring and marine-grade vinyl seats that can be washed down on two out of the six regular trims – Black Diamond and Badlands. There are integrated drain holes as well in the flooring to drain out the water after a thorough wash. We’re yet to hear from Ford if the controls also are waterproof or not.

New Ford Bronco Technology

The 2021 Ford Bronco comes with a lot of tech features as well. These are not just for in-cabin entertainment, but also for the driver’s assistance and off-roading prowess. Some of them are:

Trail Toolbox (Trail Control, Trail Turn Assist, Trail One-Pedal Drive)

Ford has offered the Bronco with a driver assistance package called the Trail Toolbox. It includes:

• Trail Control which is cruise control for low-speed trail driving.
• Trail Turn Assist that tightens the turning radius through torque vectoring.
• Trail One-Pedal Drive that lets you accelerate and brake using a single pedal for speeds of under 20 mph. It will most likely be available only when the Rock Crawl mode is engaged.

Infotainment System

The new Bronco comes with an eight-inch touchscreen with a SYNC3 system as standard, while a 12-inch touchscreen that runs on the SYNC4 infotainment system is optional. Both of them support Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

It also comes with Topographic Trail Maps that contain over 1,000 curated trail maps. This is a boon for off-roaders and a feature the owners will look forward to. Apart from this, there’s also a 360-degree camera system that displays what’s underneath the front wheels. This will be immensely helpful while rock crawling.

GOAT Modes

The GOAT Mode is a fancy name given to the Bronco’s different drive modes as an ode to the original Bronco which was nicknamed the GOAT, which was an acronym for “Goes Over Any Terrain”. Here, it stands for "Go Over Any Type of Terrain". The different driver-selectable driving GOAT modes offered on the Broncos are:

• Normal
• Eco
• Sport
• Slippery
• Sand
• Baja
• Mud/Ruts
• Rock Crawl

Although all the Broncos feature GOAT mode, only a couple of trims feature all the modes. Rest all have either five, six, or seven modes.

The Bronco also comes with Co-Pilot360 system for the standard level of safety equipment, but you can choose to upgrade to the Co-Pilot360 Assist 2.0 that adds semi-autonomous driving features like lane keep assist and blind-spot detection. The Bronco is also equipped with Trail Turn Assist that tightens the off-roading turning radiuses through torque vectoring.

What Powers The New Ford Bronco?

The new Ford Bronco will be offered with two engine options - the standard 2.3-liter, four-cylinder EcoBoost engine that makes 270 horses and 310 pound-feet of torque, and a 2.7-liter, V-6 EcoBoost mill that produces 310 ponies and 400 pound-feet of twist.

Unfortunately, the Bronco doesn’t come with a V-8 engine - at least not yet, anyway. Aftermarket companies have already announced that they’ll offer a V-8, but there is no word from Ford about it. Jeep recently announced a Wrangler Rubicon with the 6.4-liter, V-8 engine, so the Blue Oval could offer it somewhere down the line. A Hybrid Bronco, however, is in the works and could be offered pretty soon.

New Ford Bronco Transmission

Coming to the transmission, the automaker is offering a 10-speed automatic gearbox with both the engines and a seven-speed manual with the smaller engine only. This may be a bummer for a few people, but we’ll have to live with it for now. Built by Getrag, the transmission has seven gears to offer, six of which are the standard gears and one is a crawler gear. This crawler gear, when mated to the advanced four-wheel-drive system that Ford offers, generates a ratio of 94.75:1. The automatic gearbox is quite competent, too, offering a maximum crawl ratio of 67.8:1 when paired with the advanced four-wheel-drive system.

New Ford Bronco Four-Wheel Drive and Suspension System

Speaking of the four-wheel-drive system, the Bronco comes with an option of two different setups – base and advanced. The base system makes use of a two-speed electronic shift-on-the-fly transfer case, while the optional advanced system features a two-speed electromechanical transfer case that adds an auto mode for on-demand engagement to select between 2H and 4H.

The company is also offering the Bronco with a HOSS – High-performance Off-road Stability Suspension – system. The off-roader is equipped with Dana 44 five-link, coil-sprung solid rear axle, and an independent front suspension. You can have the suspension setup with Spicer front and rear electronic locking differentials for improved traction over rough terrain and long travel, position-sensitive Bilstein off-road shock absorbers with end-stop control valves.

Ford has claimed a front articulation of 10 inches, which happens to be 17-percent more than the Jeep Wrangler.

A hydraulic stabilizer bar disconnect system is also offered that can be disengaged and engaged irrespective of the road conditions. Talk about beating the king at its own game!

How Much Will The Ford Bronco Cost?

The Ford Bronco starts at a reasonable price, but as is with any Ford product, it gets expensive pretty soon. This is how every trim of the Bronco is priced:

• Base - $29,995
• Big Bend - $34,480
• Black Diamond - $37,545
• Outer Banks - $40,450
• Badlands - $43,590
• Wildtrak - $50,370
• First Edition - $60,800

The First Edition is a limited-production model and the company announced 3,500 examples of the same. But, such was the demand that Ford decided to double this number, making this slightly less exclusive.

When can I order a new Ford Bronco?

The 2021 Ford Bronco’s booking is already open. You can reserve any of the two-door or four-door trim by placing a deposit of $100, however, as of the time of this writing, there is a reported 18-month waiting time for delivery.

What is the release date for the Ford Bronco?

The date isn’t officially announced, but the Bronco is still quite some time away. You can expect it to reach the dealerships in the second half of 2021.

Is the new Ford Bronco Out Yet?

The 2021 Ford Bronco is unveiled and open for bookings. The Bronco release schedule is still not out, but the deliveries are expected to begin in the second half of 2021.

Are there any accessories for the new Ford Bronco?

Ford has said that over 200 aftermarket accessories will be available right from its launch. The list is yet to be unveiled, but it will be very similar to the Mopar bible that the Jeep Wrangler has. A lot of packages will also be offered right from the launch, and one of them, called the Sasquatch Package, has grabbed a lot of attention.

Is the new Ford Bronco Really off-road-ready?

The Bronco is off-road ready and comes with a lot of off-road equipment and technology. To make sure that even the customers opting for the base trims get all the fun, Ford is offering a ‘Sasquatch Package’. It can be had on any trim and will turn your Bronco into an extreme off-roader. It includes:

• 1.2-inch Suspension Lift-Kit
• Higher-Mounted Fender Flares
• 17-inch Beadlock-Compatible Wheels
• 35-inch Mud-Terrain Tires
• Front and Rear Locking Axles
• An Electromechanical Transfer Case
• Heavy-Duty Position-Sensitive Bilstein Shocks
• Shorter Final Drive Ratio

Is the new Ford Bronco Better than the Jeep Wrangler?

Jeep has been selling the Wrangler for over 30 years now, and in this segment, it is currently invincible. The Wrangler has faced a lot of competition in the past, but it certainly hasn’t come across anything like the Bronco. This rivalry is not new since the old-gen Bronco took on the Jeep CJ-5, which is essentially the Wrangler’s predecessor. The off-roaders go up against each other in the 21st century and the rivalry has gained a lot more heat.

The Bronco has taken on the Wrangler from all the angles. Stuff unique to the Wrangler, like the removable door and roof, off-roading prowess, etc. that lured in the customers is now offered on the Ford Bronco as well. The Bronco even has a nostalgic value attached to it. Looks are subjective, so we’ll leave that up to you to decide, but in terms of equipment, the Bronco is on par, if not better than the Wrangler. This goes for the stuff inside the cabin as well.

The core of a vehicle in this niche relies on how it performs in the real world, so we’ll have to wait for the Bronco to hit the road. But in terms of specs and features on paper, the Ford Bronco will give a tough fight to the Jeep Wrangler. Jeep knew it had to act soon and announced a Jeep Wrangler Rubicon V-8 a few hours before the Bronco was unveiled. It has also been spotted doing test runs. So, point for Wrangler here. But, if you compare both the vehicles in theory, the Bronco, being a new and fresh product, will garner more interest for now.

Read our full review on the Jeep Wrangler.