The Jeep Wrangler and the Land Rover Defender just soiled themselves. All hail the new Ford Bronco, which turns out to be way more than just the revival of an iconic name. Not only does it come in seven trims, but the 2021 Ford Bronco is also built to take on just about anything you can throw at it, looking badass all the while. The Bronco will be available with two or four doors, and just like the Wrangler, it boasts soft top or hard top configuration, as well as removable body panels that take it from conventional driving to post-apocalyptic desert runs. Two engine options exist: the base is a turbocharged 2.3-liter four-cylinder with 270 horses, and a gutsy twin-turbo V6 with 310 horsepower. The smaller-displacement engine can be outfitted with a 7-speed manual transmission with a super-low crawl ratio. A 10-speed automatic is the only transmission for the V6, and you can also get it on the four-banger.
Underneath it all are Dana front and rear axles across all trims with standard four-wheel and available all-wheel drive systems. Depending on how you configure your Bronco, there are mud-terrain tires, beadlock wheels, locking diffs, sway bar disconnect, long-travel dampers, and a maximum 11.6-inches of ground clearance. One of the coolest features is the trail sights at the front fenders to negotiate corners and also operate as tie-downs for up to 150 pounds. Inside, you’ll find what looks like Ford’s best interior with brilliant features such as smartphone and Go-Pro mountable racks on the dash to capture your superb bouldering skills, rubberized switches, frameless/removable doors, and available rubber flooring and marine-grade vinyl seats that handle mud and water better than the optional leather. An 8-inch SYNC4 infotainment screen is standard, but you can upsize to 12 inches in some trims, both with OTA updates, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and available Wi-Fi. All 3,500 Launch Editions have already been spoken for, but there are six more trims ready for the taking. Watch for them to hit showrooms next spring.
