So this is Jeep’s worst nightmare. A category they’ve monopolized now has a new kid on the block…one that moved away in 1996 and now returns to a hero’s welcome. Starting at $30,000, the new Bronco is taking several pages from the Jeep playbook such as being offered in 2- or 4-doors and coming on strong in the serious off-road department but with a resume that’ll have the Wrangler doing some soul searching. The basics are this: power comes from either a 2.3-liter turbo-4 producing 270 horsepower or a 310 horsepower 2.7-liter twin-turbo grunting out 400 pound-feet of torque. The 7-speed manual, offered only on the base engine, gets a crawler gear that can result in a near 95:1 crawl ratio. A 10-speed auto is optional. The standard 4-wheel drive system is a part-time, 2-speed setup while the optional advanced system includes an Auto setting and a deeper low gear. A Dana 44 solid rear axle pairs with a high efficiency Dana AdvanTEK independent unit in the front, both available with lockers and Bilstein dampers. Ford claims the Bronco has significantly greater suspension travel than Wrangler thanks to an available front sway bar disconnect that can be initiated during articulation. And segment first 35” tires and beadlock-capable wheels are available on every trim level. With them, ground clearance is an impressive 11.6.” There are up to 7 drive modes, none of which are called OJ for slow-speed highway driving.
