The 2021 Ford Bronco Crushes the Competition with Class-Leading Off-Roading Prowess

The 2021 Ford Bronco is coming in hot to dealers this fall, and that’s why it’s time to reach out to us, your Cincinnati Ford Bronco dealer, to find out when you can take a look. This newest version of Ford’s beloved off-roading superstar is the most widely anticipated new vehicle release in decades, a fact confirmed by Ford when the company announced it had sold out of its early release First Edition trim.

Why are folks so excited about the Bronco? It’s a combination of two things. First, the respected Bronco name – a name that’s steeped in tradition and legacy – is making a comeback. Second, this newest Bronco represents a modern take on the original, except it is loaded with next-generation technology and rugged capability that hasn’t been seen on the Bronco – or any SUV – ever before.

Ford designed the Bronco for off-roaders. It’s not even fair to call it an SUV in the traditional sense. We’d refer to the new Bronco as a specialty all-terrain vehicle. It occupies a category of its own, with very few competitors that hit the mark on unique, throwback curb appeal and beast mode-level capability, all at a surprisingly affordable starting MSRP of $26,820 for the Bronco Sport and $28,500 for the larger Bronco.

Yet, even with all the talk about what it can do off-road, we think the Bronco will also appeal to buyers who will never climb a steep dirt trail or ford a raging river. Buyers looking for an in-town vehicle that doesn’t resemble the usual suspects. Buyers who appreciate all that power and grit, enjoying it for its potential and appreciating that it’s ready to take them on an adventure whenever they are.

What is G.O.A.T. Mode?

When you hear the acronym G.O.A.T., you may think: Greatest of All Time, which is definitely fitting for the all-new Ford Bronco. In this case, though, G.O.A.T. means something a little different. When considering the Ford Bronco, G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) Mode is your ticket to just about anywhere on the planet.

The 2021 Ford Bronco is equipped with the kind of off-roading design elements that make most terrain accessible. G.O.A.T. Mode is Ford’s Terrain Management System. It’s an array of five different settings, designed to dial in very specific levels of torque and gear-shifting to maximize traction and performance. The five G.O.A.T. Modes include Sand, Slippery, Sport, Eco, and Normal. Upgrade to a pricier Bronco trim, and you’ll add up to three more: Mud/Ruts, Rock Crawl, and Baja (that will replace the Sport mode). Drivers can easily toggle between G.O.A.T. Mode settings with an easy-to-reach dash-mounted dial.

The base G.O.A.T. mode setting is Normal, which is essentially two-wheel drive. Toggling through the modes automatically adjusts speed range and transfer case gears to adapt to the selected driving mode and optimize performance over the terrain it’s designed to tackle. For example, we love Baja Mode for its combined performance at high speeds and over sandy, uneven terrain. Conversely, the Rock/Crawl Mode keeps torque on the low end of the range – historically known as 4L mode – so the Bronco can safely navigate rocky inclines without losing traction or power at slower speeds.

Best-in-Class Capabilities

The 2021 Ford Bronco boasts a long list of best-in-class capabilities that set it apart – far apart – from its competition. Between its class-leading ability to navigate steep inclines, handle sharp drops, and ride over water and uneven terrain, the Bronco trounces the competition in nearly every measurable category. Approach and departure angle is one way the industry measures and compares off-roading capabilities. Put simply, approach and departure angle is the maximum incline/decline a vehicle can manage without hitting the front or rear bumper. The Bronco delivers a best-in-class approach (incline) angle of 43.2 degrees and a departure (downhill) angle of 37.2 degrees.

The 2021 Bronco also has a 29-degree breakover angle. Breakover angle is the angle between the middle of the vehicle and the rear tires. Exceeding it means the vehicle becomes ‘turtled’: the midpoint of the vehicle makes contact with the terrain, causing all four tires to lose contact in the process. Picture a truck reaching the top of an incline and preparing to descend, then getting stuck.

Choose the trims that offer it standard, and you’ll also get best-in-class ground clearance. At a max of 11.6-inches for the two-door Bronco and 11.5-inches for the four-door, that’s a lot of space, which translates into confidence over rocky, uneven terrain that would damage most trucks. Add class-leading water fording capability of up to 33.5-inches (thanks to strategically-located intakes), and the picture becomes clearer that this is no ordinary SUV.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Badlands

All 2021 Ford Bronco trims come standard with four-wheel drive, but some are intentionally tweaked to conquer especially challenging terrain. The 2021 Bronco Badlands combines the best of on-road performance with the kind of durable capability serious off-roaders demand. Ford knows it has to deliver a lot of industry firsts to live up to the Bronco reputation. That ingenuity is built into every inch of the Bronco Badlands.

We recommend going all out by choosing the available Sasquatch and Lux Packages. It’s the perfect marriage of grit and luxury, combining features like navigation and leather-trimmed seating with 35-inch mud-terrain tires and electronic locking front and rear axles. Who wouldn’t want a heated steering wheel after a long day of playing in the snow? In the end, you’ll be sitting pretty but driving gritty.

The Bronco Badlands comes with a standard 7-speed manual transmission and a 2.3-liter 4-cylinder EcoBoost engine that delivers 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. Upgrade to the 2.7-liter 6-cylinder engine, and those numbers increase to 310 horsepower and a whopping 400 lb-ft of torque, and the manual transmission is replaced with a 10-speed automatic. Both engines are turbocharged with direct fuel injection, which is why they deliver such impressive performance. The Badlands also comes standard with a front and rear HOSS (high-performance, off-road, stability, suspension) system equipped with special Bilstein dampers and coil-over springs that contribute to both stability and overall ride control by delivering improved shock absorption, especially during extreme driving.

Get Excited for the Ford Bronco

Ford has already sold out of its early-release Bronco First Edition trim, and that momentum shows no signs of stopping. Calls come in every day from interested buyers hoping to catch a glimpse of the new Bronco on showroom floors. Want to get in on the fun? We recommend getting your name on the waitlist today because demand is pent-up, and we are expecting to sell them faster than we can keep them in stock.

Whether you’re looking for the smaller Ford Bronco Sport or the beastly Bronco, Ford’s attention to retro good looks and style is evident at every angle. Driving an all-new Bronco feels a lot like driving the original, but with the added excitement of knowing you’re behind the wheel of the category leader in almost every way. From the feeling of shifting manually to the epic off-roading capabilities, this beastly Bronco not only blows the doors off its competition but continues a nearly 56-year tradition of providing a gateway to wild, unfettered adventure. Give us a call today to get on the waitlist for the most up-to-date information on the new Bronco and Bronco Sport.