Ford has developed a new Bronco model that will let you take the Bronco even further off the grid than ever. Ford used the Chicago Auto Show to intro the model.
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If there is one thing that Ford has been pushing with the Bronco, it is this: the automaker has been showing from its first models that it is ready for rugged off-roading.
Honestly, Ford has had to show how tough the new rev of the famed Bronco SUV is. The reason is simple. From its introduction back in the 1960s, the Bronco has had a reputation for toughness. After its intro, the Bronco drove into places other vehicles weren't willing to take on.
Yes, it had some tough competition in the original Jeep CJ and the International Scout. However, the Bronco soon took its competition and became the market leader, which it kept into the early 1990s. The Bronco began to tail away as Ford offered more off-road-ready vehicles like the Explorer in the mid-1990s. By 1996, though Ford had updated its Bronco, the four-door SUVs from Ford were eating its lunch so that Bronco production stopped.
A Bronco ‘Underground’ Keeps Model Alive
Funnily, even though the Bronco was no longer in production, Ford personnel's "underground" movement kept the brand alive. Though they were unseen by the public, they were very active behind the scenes so that by the mid-2010s, concept Broncos started appearing at auto shows and on the roads around Dearborn. By 2019, there were concrete plans for a new model line and debuts of the new Bronco models. However, the pandemic turned things on their head.
Instead of a debut in late 2019 for 2020, Ford delayed its debut until early 2021. Then, Ford introduced the Bronco brand, making the vehicle a unique line that the automaker would be selling. Indeed, some Ford stores have different brand shops that sell Broncos.
This year, Ford has moved back to a more normalized schedule. At this year's Chicago Auto Show, the automaker has introduced a new Bronco for off-roaders looking to go further off the grid. Ford has used the auto show to introduce the new 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades special edition – an SUV born to breathe when the air gets thick and designed to press on when the trail turns others around.
For decades, Bronco SUVs have traversed remote locations with a GOAT – Goes Over Any Type of Terrain – mentality. Bronco Everglades, available as a four-door model, takes that spirit to the next level with confidence-building, factory-installed features such as a snorkel, integrated front bumper-mounted winch, and all the off-road equipment in the Bronco Sasquatch Trim Level.
"Bronco customers like to explore new places, but some want to go even further off the trail than others," said Jolanta Coffey, Bronco chief engineer. "Everglades is specially equipped to enable these customers to tackle even more challenging terrains and trails – and with the front bumper-mounted winch, they can help others out of trouble while they're at it."
Bronco Everglades Packed With Rugged Off-Roading Hardware
Bronco Everglades introduces a class-exclusive signature snorkel. Designed and engineered by Ford, the snorkel – which runs up the passenger-side A-pillar – optimizes vehicle performance in dust, snow, and water by raising the engine air intake above nasty trail conditions. Its design uses two easy-to-swap plates to change the direction of the inlet based on trail and weather conditions.
"Bronco enthusiasts demand style as well as performance, so we challenged ourselves to create a snorkel with high-end function and a look that suits the vehicle," said Ryan Olsson, design manager. "What really sets the Everglades snorkel apart is the head and reversible intake. It completely changes the way a snorkel can look and function."
Front and rear axles, transfer cases, and transmission also offer raised vents for improved water fording. Combined, these design changes led to a water fording capability of 36.4 inches.
For situations when Bronco Everglades or another vehicle needs extra traction beyond what the tires and engine can provide, a heavy-duty modular front bumper by Ford Performance with ZEON 10-S WARN® winch – featuring 10,000-pound capability† and a 100-foot synthetic line – is ready to help. Everglades also comes standard with a protective safari bar, rock rails, and the same steel bash plates found on Black Diamond and Badlands Bronco models. A unique Carbonized Gray grille with gloss black Bronco lettering enhances its functional appearance.
The Sasquatch Package features 17-inch Carbonized Gray-painted alloy wheels with 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires. Additional exterior appointments include rock rails to protect the lower sills, plus a molded-in-color hardtop and roof rack with crossbars.
Squared Wheel Arches For A Unique Look
The Bronco design team took advantage of Bronco's patented off-road modular design in creating the Everglades edition. It further underscores how this user-friendly platform can be stripped to its base structure and reconfigured for another new adventure with a different body setup. The vehicle features unique squared front and rear wheel arches with matching Sasquatch-width fender flares.
Unique graphics with Everglades topography deliver style on the front quarter fenders, cleverly paying homage to the tropical wetlands that inspire the vehicle's name.
Bronco Everglades is easy to clean after a weekend on the trails with standard marine-grade vinyl seats and rubberized washout flooring. Urban Green accents provide subtle touches of color on grab handles, air register vents, and seat stitching.
In addition to mid-package content, Bronco Everglades features a class-exclusive 12-inch SYNC® 4 system with Ford Power-Up over-the-air software updates – a unique combination based on customer feedback. Its 2.3-liter EcoBoost® delivers 300 horsepower and 325 pounds-feet of torque, the most torque from a four-cylinder gas engine in its class. It is paired to a class-exclusive SelectShift 10-speed automatic transmission with an advanced 4x4 system and a maximum 67.8:1 crawl ratio.
The new 2022 Bronco Everglades is available in five exterior colors, including Everglades-exclusive low-volume Desert Sand, plus Eruption Green, Area 51, Shadow Black, and Cactus Gray.
This summer, Bronco Everglades will join the Bronco lineup of Built Wild 4x4 SUVs. Ordering begins in March exclusively for existing Bronco reservation holders, and pricing will start at $53,000 plus $1,495 destination and delivery charges.
Marc Stern has been an automotive writer since 1971 when an otherwise normal news editor said, "You're our new car editor," and dumped about 27 pounds of auto stuff on my desk. I was in heaven as I have been a gearhead from my early days. As a teen, I spent the usual number of misspent hours hanging out at gas stations Shell and Texaco (a big thing in my youth) and working on cars. From there on, it was a straight line to my first column for the paper, "You Auto Know," an enterprise that I handled faithfully for 32 years. Not many people know that I also handled computer documentation for a good part of my living while writing YAN. My best writing, though, was always in cars. My work has appeared in Popular Mechanics, Mechanix Illustrated, AutoWeek, SuperStock, Trailer Life, Old Cars Weekly, Special Interest Autos, etc. You can follow me on: Twitter or Facebook.
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