At Ford they have it with the horses. We know the Mustang – now also electric. But Ford has a second wild horse in its lineup: the Bronco. The two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, although this is not entirely true. With the Ford Bronco, however, there is no risk of confusion, but there is a call for voluntary self-restraint, because it doesn’t recognize many boundaries.
What the Mustang and Bronco have in common, however, is that they are not normal cars and that they have a long history in the USA. The Bronco’s history ended in 1996 after 30 years, without us in Europe noticing anything. The new generation is now available here too. It has a 335 hp biturbo V6, ladder frame and rigid rear axle. A real off-roader.Although, you have to differentiate: There is the Badlands version with differential locks on both axles. That is the real off-roader. And then there is the Outer Banks, which we drove. Still powerful and it can go further off-road than most people would expect it to. Over 23 centimeters of ground clearance, 80 centimeters of wading depth and really usefully short overhangs help.Over hills it could be tight because of the wheelbase of almost three meters. The turning circle too. It is 12.21 meters between curbs, so even more between walls or rocks. Off-road, however, a special mode helps, which reduces the turning circle by braking. And that’s really fun (see video!).The look is not only off-road, but also really lovingly made. The Bronco is reminiscent of its ancestor from 30 years ago. The trunk opens in two parts. First, the lower half with the spare wheel opens like a normal door, then you can fold the upper part up. If you manage to lift the load up that far, you can load over 500 liters, or 820 liters up to the roof. If you fold it down, it’s 1.8 cubic meters.There’s no problem with space in the back seat either. No wonder in a 4.80 meter long box.Digital – but with an analogue speedometer!Not in the front either. And no problem with sensitive materials either. Things are appropriately rough here. In the best sense of the word. Solid plastic, vertical dashboard, strong handles. As if you could pressure wash it out. Of course you can’t. Real buttons and knobs, plus an impressive automatic gear selector, a car like it used to be.In the glove compartment you can even find tools – with these you can dismantle the Bronco from the top and enjoy the full open-air feeling: the roof can be removed in four parts, as can the doors. But you shouldn’t get caught on public roads.And yet the Bronco is very digital: you won’t miss much on the twelve-inch touchscreen with Sync 4 operating system. Off-road displays, 360-degree camera, etc., everything is there. In terms of assistance systems, the only thing missing is a lane guidance assistant – although, no, there is no question of it being missing. Fans of classic driving will be particularly pleased that behind the steering wheel there is not only the usual display, but also an analog speedometer with scale and pointer.Full speed ahead!The Bronco’s engine is of the powerful variety: a 2.7-liter biturbo V6 petrol engine with 335 hp and 563 Nm at 3100 rpm. This means that it takes its 2214 DIN kilograms from zero to 100 km/h in 6.7 seconds via the ten-speed automatic transmission. If the electronics weren’t holding it back, it would run much faster than 161 km/h. At that speed, you are braked quite abruptly. Voluntary self-restraint, so to speak.But that’s OK because the chassis is of the wobbly variety, designed for off-road use. The steering feels more precise than in a Jeep Wrangler, but you’ll probably avoid winding mountain roads and maybe try to take shortcuts between them.The noise level also speaks against higher speeds: it’s loud in the Ford Bronco, especially because the moving roof parts whistle. It’s good that the powerful B&O sound system is standard.Ford states WLTP consumption as 13.4 l/100 km. If you avoid city traffic, you can easily undercut this value. In the city, however, it can easily reach 17 liters.PricesThe Ford Bronco Outer Banks is available from 103,000 euros. The Badlands comes in at 115,000 euros, but also offers more extreme off-road qualities, a more complex four-wheel drive and various driving modes.Driving time:The Ford Bronco is something for two different areas of use: off-road and city. On the surface, it is perfect for off-road use, but then you should treat yourself to the Badlands. On the other hand, you will find it in the city, despite the huge turning circle. The kids will think it’s cool to be taken to school or soccer practice in it. Unless they are fans of the last generation.You won’t have any fun with it on winding country roads or on the highway. Where it would also do well: As a third car in the driveway.Why?Real off-road funTradition brought into the presentWhy not?On asphalt you have to make a very conscious decision to choose itOr maybe…… Jeep Wrangler, Ineos Grenadier
source site-13