Experienced by Kimatni D. Rawlins
After Bronco hit the scene, Ford made sure to create an array of outgoing models for the variety of thrill-seeking customers that gravitate towards the utility vehicle. Recently I had a chance to jump behind the wheel of the Bronco Sport Outer Banks 4×4, which offers the capabilities of its naming convention. Decked out in a Cactus Gray exterior and Navy Pier leather interior, the $32,160 ($36,045 price as tested) Bronco Sport features a contrasting Shadow Black roof, black roof rails, rugged black trimming, a black grille, and 18” machined-face Aluminum Ebony Black rims wrapped in Michelin Latitude rubber.
As we all know, the new Broncos are fun ripping around in the wild towards your destination, whether camping or mountain biking. The Safari Roof allows more height to load up two bikes upright, and the rubberized flooring and second-row seatbacks contain mud and dirt. Yep, the doors and roof come off like Jeep Wranglers and the manual tailgate’s opening rear glass is perfect for more extended objects as well. The vehicle even has a bottle opener integrated within the hatch if you need a cool, fresh one. The zippered seatback pockets are cool too.
The mid-level $1,595 Outer Banks trim is one of five other packages such as Big Bend and Badlands. This model is particular is geared towards rugged lifestyles but with a mix of tech to offer the best of both worlds. A few amenities to go along with the 4×4 capabilities and GOAT Modes (Normal, ECO, Sport, Slippery, and Sand) include a 110v power outlet in the second row, power and heated front seats, remote start, a digital instrument panel, and interior ambient lighting to name a few. I also like the styling of the LED headlamps with LED Signature Lighting. Auto high-beams and a RearView camera further nice up the Bronco Sport.
Riding off-road feels good; however, the little guy lacks acceleration and refinement for extended, comfortable drives back on the streets. After all, Broncos are buck wild and belong in the wild. It features Ford’s 1.5-liter EcoBoost 3-cylinder engine with 181-horsepower, 190 ft-lbs of torque, and is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.
Driving protection comes in the form of Ford’s Personal Safety System, a driver knee airbag, front seat-mounted side-impact airbags, a Safety Canopy System, and front and second-row Safety Canopy Side Curtains with rollover sensors. As you can see, the creative liberty in styling, capabilities, safety, and tech is on point. Now we just need additional performance.
