This new truck, available in two- or
four-door styles, resembles the old first-
generation Bronco from the ’60s and ’70s
without being slavish. The 2021 Bronco
is fresh, futuristic, fun. It looks like a kid’s
toy you want to pick up and play with.
Size-wise, the two-door is 6.9 inches
longer than the equivalent Jeep Wrangler
on a 3.6-inch longer wheelbase, while the
four-door is an inch longer on a 2.3-inch
shorter wheelbase. The Broncos are 2.1
inches wider and 0.7 inch lower, and
they offer similar head- and legroom
with more shoulder- and hiproom in
the four-door, less in the two-door. Both
Fords accommodate more cargo than
the Jeeps—3.9–10.6 cubic feet with the
seats up and 5.2–26.4 cubes more with
them down, four-door to two-door. So the
four-doors are close in size; the Bronco
two-door is way bigger and roomier.
The Bronco offers three trim-specific
grilles at launch, and each apes the full-
width one-piece look of the original. The
forward corners of each front fender
sprout a “trail sight,” which helps locate
the corners for the adventurous off-road
driver and also serves as a place to lash
canoes or kayaks to the roof.
One of the slickest parts of the designis the arcing bow, a curved black plastic
element just in front of the windshield
that contains the mirrors. See, unlike the
Wrangler, the Bronco’s side-view mirrors
are mounted on the body—so when the
doors come off, you still have mirrors
(and the optional cameras housed in each
for spotting front tire placement). But
rather than just have them stuck onto the
Bronco’s body, Ford design gave the pair
a little curved plinth to sit on.
The weakest part of the four-door’s
design is at the base of the C-pillar,
where many surfaces and forms collide.
It all looks bunched up. It’s not horrible,
but there’s a black plastic triangle just at
the trailing edge of the rear window that
looks tacked on and cheaper than the rest
of the truck. We were assured by Ford PR
the previous iteration looked even worse.
Not really a confident statement, that.
With the roof off, you can see the
perimeter halo rollcage, which leaves
the entire space open above both rows of
seats for panoramic views of Moab. This
structure houses curtain airbags and
serves as a design element: To provide
ample headroom, the roof stands about 6
inches above this, so removing it lends a
chopped-top hot rod appearance.
Out back, you see exposed hinges
on the tailgate, but to simplify door
removal Ford chose concealed hinges
for the doors. Removing these frameless,
mirrorless aluminum doors is a breeze.
Simply lower the windows and slip on
the protective door bag. Unplug the
electrical connection (a spring-loaded
door snaps shut to keep the connectors
clean), remove one bolt from each hinge,
and off they come. One last cool little
touch: The rearview camera is mounted
on the end of the spare tire carrier. Said
carrier is quite long, so even if you fit a
fat, aftermarket spare tire and wheel,
your camera can still see.Broncos are offered with a choice of
two removable hard tops. The basic one
comes molded in body color and features
two interlocking sections over the front
seats that can be stowed on board in
bags like Jeep’s Freedom Top panels. On
four-door models, a third large panel
above the rear seat opens the entire roof
section but doesn’t stow on board. Quar-
ter-turn latches release all these panels.
The remaining roof section enclosing the
rear cargo area is comparatively small
and easy to maneuver, and with it off
and all windows lowered, even with the
frameless doors installed you get a true
“max air” convertible feel.