The announcement of the Ford Bronco comeback produced an incredible amount of jubilation; while over 100,000 people put their name down for one, production won’t start until early next year. Meanwhile, Bronco Sport vehicles have started being assembled as of October 26, 2020.
Like the Bronco, the Sport is designed to offer the same off-road prowess of its bigger brother in a smaller and more affordable package. The vehicle comes in a variety of trim levels including the Base ($26,000 starting MSRP), Big Bend ($28,160), Outer Banks ($32,160), Badlands ($32,660), and First Edition ($38,500). Although the First Edition is already sold out, the Badlands and First Edition will come equipped with off-road goodies like steelie style wheels, offroad specific tires, an advanced 4×4 system, tuned suspension, and bash plates, among others.
Trim levels aside, the Bronco Sport will come available with two engine options. Base, Big Bend, and Outer Banks models will come with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost putting out 181 horsepower (135 kilowatts) and 190 pound-feet (257 Newton-meters) of torque. Those who opted for the Badlands and First Edition will receive a 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine producing 245 hp (182 kW) and 275 lb-ft (372 Nm). Both powerplants will be connected to an 8-speed automatic transmission – Badlands and First Edition models will come with paddle shifters.
Meanwhile, Bronco customers will have to wait a little bit longer for their pride and joy to be built, as production is arranged to begin on March 22, 2021. However, before that can happen, initial order acceptance will begin on December 7, 2020, and Scheduling will begin on January 14, 2021. So what does all of this mean?
Initial Order Acceptance is when the Blue Oval allows dealers to accept orders, but it’s important to note that this doesn’t mean vehicles will be built in the order that they are received; individual options could delay your place in line until they are available – sadly there isn’t a golden combination to put yourself first in line. Meanwhile, the Scheduling Begins step simply involves dealers sending in their orders.
Semantics aside, the reincarnation of the Bronco remains as exciting as ever. We can only guess that prospective customers are champing at the bit to get their order in and enjoy all that the new vehicle has to offer.