Motor Trend - USA (2020-09)

E

very Jeep model carries a spark

of the original flame kindled by

the iconic WWII Willys original.

This makes it way easier to sell

Jeeps, even the ones that don’t still

resemble the primordial jeep.

Ford (which incidentally built almost as

many original jeeps for the war as Willys)

wants in on that action. So it’s reviving

its own nostalgic icon—the Bronco—

and aiming it squarely at the Wrangler.

But only one in four Jeeps sold in the

U.S. is a Wrangler, and Ford needs its

Bronco-mania to entice a wider audience.

Behold the Escape-based Bronco Sport.

Yes, the Bronco Sport shares about 80

percent of its parts with the Escape, not

the Bronco pater familias, but the sun

never hits most of them. The two trucklets

certainly look nothing alike. The 1.5-liter

three-cylinder and 2.0-liter four-banger

turbo engines and their power ratings

carry over from Escape, though torque is

downrated slightly for the Bronco Sport

Overlander

A LITTLE FORD YOU COULD REALLY ESCAPE IN

(2 and 5 lb-ft, respectively). The eight-

speed automatic transmission carries

over, too—with calibration changes—and

there are two all-wheel-drive systems: the

Escape’s and a torque-vectoring one for

the Badlands trim level.

The suspension features unique

control arms and knuckles that increase

the suspension travel and broaden the

front and rear track by 0.8 inch, bringing

the tires right out even with the body-

work (rendering Bronco Sport unsalable

in Europe). Unique springs and special

COMPACT

34 MOTORTREND.COM SEPTEMBER 2020

FIRST LOOK I 2021 Ford Bronco Sport