When the Ford Bronco was unveiled, fans rejoiced. From everything we’ve seen, Ford hit the nail directly on the head with a mallet…dead-on. The Bronco Sport, however, has left some wondering if it exists simply to be the tamed, more mall-friendly verison of the Bronco name, in a sense earning the same kind of criticism that the Jeep Cherokee and Renegade tend to get. It’s small, powered by a four-cylinder and looks like a crossover. And you know how that goes…”if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.” Ford was adamant that the Bronco Sport was a capable rig, even going so far as to put out an overkill off-road centric version of the Sport called “Badlands”. With it’s off-road “G.O.A.T” driving modes and up to 245 horsepower and 275 ft/lbs of torque from the 2.0L EcoBoost four, the Bronco Sport should have no trouble as long as you remember that this is a stock vehicle and not a lifted, kitted Bronco of old.
But between the looks at the Jeep Renegade and the Bronco II quips, maybe a demonstration is in order. This is a Bronco Sport Badlands edition taking on Hell’s Gate in Moab. Now, we aren’t saying that this is a radical trail…after all, we’ve seen footage of a Ford Crown Victoria driving along Hell’s Revenge like it’s just a Tuesday afternoon, not an issue in the world. But where we think the guy in the Vic might know a thing or two about the geography and the trail, average Joe in any crossover claiming to be an off-roading sure bet might want to think twice. So watch as Ford’s newest baby puts in the work on the slick rock.
