2021 Ford Bronco Sport unibody off-roader – Launch Specs, Details, Pricing

Launched together with its big brother, the Ford Bronco, the Ford Bronco Sport compact crossover is a smaller and more affordable model that still has the elements of what makes its mid-size Bronco so great. 

The Bronco Sport is based on the Ford Escape, and it's set to compete against the likes of the Jeep Cherokee and the Compass. That being said though, the Bronco Sport is very far from what the Ford Escape is. To begin with, it looks tougher and as far as we can tell based on its interior, it’s definitely more useful.

The Ford Bronco Sport; compact but tough

So how does the Ford Bronco Sport look?

For starters, it’s attractively boxy, and it features a lot of design cues that are found on the Bronco like the square grille, the large LED taillights, the round headlights, and prominent Bronco badging on the rear, as well as on the grille.

There’s also the rounded wheel arches, the thick looking diagonally oriented c-pillar, and a set of tough-looking off-road tires wrapping a set of 18-inch or 17-inch wheels.

Note that interesting design of the LED headlamps

>>> Related: 2021 Ford Bronco: The icon is back – Launch Specs, Details, Pricing

Overall, Bronco Sport’s design is geared to be very functional. The rear cargo door opens wide, and there are beefy roof racks up top. Apart from that though, like its bigger sibling, the Bronco Sport is definitely a call back to those utilitarian and tough SUVs of old. It has this old-world charm, combined with a modern, even futuristic feel.

We're thinking that the Bronco Sport will make for a great camping vehicle

So what’s under the Bronco Sport’s hood?

Powering the Ford Bronco Sport are two engine options. First is a 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 that makes 181 horsepower and 257 Nm. Then there’s the larger 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 which makes 245 horsepower and 375 Nm.

There’s only one transmission option though, and it's the same eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters found on the Escape. The said automatic then sends power to all four wheels via an all-wheel-drive system. The said drivetrain comes standard on both trims, while the top trims come with a pseudo diff lock, which we’re guessing is nothing like the diff lock found on body-on-frame SUVs.

It's got an AWD and not a real 4WD. But based on these pictures, it appears that it can deal with light off-roading, though.

Also, just like the Ford Bronco for sale, the Bronco Sport comes with the Goes Over Any Type of Terrain or GOAT modes, which are selected via a knob. These modes include sand, slippery, eco, normal, and sport. The GOAT is available on all variants, while rocks and mud are added to the higher trim levels. Apart from that, the First Edition as well as the Badlands are given a more robust suspension system with beefier shocks, a smaller sway bar for flexibility, and larger tires.

The Ford Bronco Sport’s interior and onboard tech

When it comes to the interior, the Bronco Sport does have some similarities with the Ford Escape, that is if you look closely enough. It is definitely more premium looking, and at the same time more utilitarian with its leather seats adorned with Bronco logos on the seatbacks, the rubberized physical controls for the touchscreen and climate control, as well as the very versatile cargo bay with a five-way organizer. Now this particular feature can be folded out into a table, has a bottle opener, and it even comes with a 400-watt inverter as well as a powerful floodlight.

The interior of the Bronco Sport is very Ford and also very comfy looking

As for tech, the Bronco Sport is equipped with an eight-inch touchscreen that has a familiar Ford Sync 3 system. There’s also the presence of USB-A and USB-C ports, a Bang and Olufsen sound system. For safety, the Co-Pilot 360, Co-Pilot 360 Assist+, and the Co-Pilot 360 Assist 2.0 are all available for the new compact crossover.

The Co-Pilot 360 Assist 2.0 is of course the most advanced with its intelligent adaptive-cruise control, lane-centering, rear-cross traffic alert, pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking, and traffic sign recognition. And lastly, there’s also a chance that the Active Drive Assist hands-free driving system will be available for the all-new Bronco Sport.

We're hoping that Ford PH brings in both the Bronco and the Bronco Sport 

For now, there’s no word yet whether Ford Philippines will add the Bronco Sport to its lineup. The American car company has revealed the actual prices for the all-new model, with the Bronco Sport’s base variant starting at $28,155 or Php 1.4 million, and the top variant will be priced at $39,995 or around Php 2 million at the current exchange rates. These, however, don't include applicable taxes if Ford Philippines were to bring it here.

For more news on the latest car models, keep reading here on Philkotse.com.