- Ford Bronco Sport is the smaller sibling in the Bronco family
- It’s a monocoque crossover to rival the likes of the Jeep Compass
- Bronco Sport comes in a 5-door body style only
Ford has taken the wraps off the Bronco Sport, an all-new retro-styled crossover that sits lower in the new Bronco sub-brand. Not to be confused with the new flagship off-roader simply known as the Bronco, the Bronco Sport is a more road-focused offering aimed at customers who want the same rugged looks but with a friendlier everyday driving manner.Read on to find out what’s on offer with the new Ford Bronco Sport.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport: Overview and dimensions
The Bronco Sport sits below the larger Bronco SUV and will be sold as a five-door version only. Though the looks are very similar, the big difference is the use of a monocoque chassis rather than a body-on-frame chassis as seen in its hardcore 4x4 Bronco sibling. This makes it, in effect, a crossover, and in fact, the Bronco Sport shares its underpinnings with the Ford Escape or Kuga SUV which are sold globally.
The Ford Bronco Sport measures 4,386mm in length, 2,087mm in width and has a wheelbase of 2,667mm. These dimensions make it slightly bigger than the Jeep Compass SUV that is also sold in India. Higher variants of the Bronco Sport offer 224mm of ground clearance along with a 30.4-degree approach angle, a 33.1-degree departure angle and a 20.4-degree breakover angle, with a water fording ability of 599mm.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport SUV: Design and interior
Though it mimics the look of the larger Bronco, the Bronco Sport is available only in a five-door hard-top body style. It is loaded with Bronco family design cues and prominent body cladding, with shorter overhangs than the Ford Escape, which helps it clear obstacles off road. The Bronco Sport features fender vents and a stepped roof design, or ‘Safari style roof’ as Ford calls it, which allows more headroom for the second row and a taller cargo area. At the rear, you’ll find a set of vertical taillamps with prominent Bronco badging, and a more practical openable glass design that was also seen on the original Bronco SUV.
The interior features more of a straightforward design than the overtly retro full-size Bronco, with easy-to-reach controls, and more bits familiar to other Ford crossovers. The Bronco Sport comes with an 8-inch infotainment screen, powered by the Ford SYNC3 infotainment system.
The Bronco Sport will also come with a with a slide-out table that can be used as a makeshift workbench. A washable rubber floor and a class-exclusive 400-watt inverter will also be available on the SUV.
2021 Ford Bronco SUV: What’s under the hood
The Bronco Sport comes with two engine options – starting with a 1.5-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost engine that delivers 181hp. The Badlands and First Edition variants come with a 2.0-litre EcoBoost motor good for 245hp. Both engines come with a standard 8-speed automatic gearbox, and higher variants also get paddle shifters.
2021 Ford Bronco SUV: 4X4 - offroad and safety gear
All variants of the Bronco Sport come with a trail-ready suspension setup, along with a terrain management system that features upto seven Go Over Any Terrain (GOAT) driving modes including Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery and Sand.
The Bronco Sport also offers a Trail Control system that works like cruise control for off-roading and automatically handles acceleration and braking at speeds of up to 32kph forward or 10kph in reverse when activated. The Bronco Sport can also be equipped with an optional ‘off-road camera’ that displays a live video feed on the infotainment system, so you can see obstacles that would typically be hidden from view.
Safety features on the Bronco Sport include pre-collision assist with automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, a blind spot monitor, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keeping assist, a rear-view camera and automatic high-beam headlights. Optionally, you can add adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go and lane-centring, evasive steering assist and voice-activated touchscreen navigation.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport: Will it come to India?
The Bronco Sport’s most direct rival, the Jeep Compass Trailhawk is on sale in India, but as of now, there is no news of the new Ford SUV heading here anytime soon. But would you like to see a retro-inspired premium SUV from Ford in the Indian market in the future?
Also see:
2021 Ford Bronco Sport image gallery
2021 Ford Bronco image gallery
New Ford Mustang India launch in early 2021