The facelifted Ford Bronco Sport has been given an even tougher makeover in the US, but the soft roader remains frustratingly out of reach for Australian buyers.
Ford has consistently said the Bronco Sport – which is based on the Escape SUV axed locally last year – is left-hand drive only, as is the case with the compact Maverick ute. That position hasn’t changed with this latest reveal.
As for the Sasquatch? It follows in the footsteps of the full-sized Bronco Sasquatch with additions “for owners who take their vehicle to wilder places than the local coffee shop, mall and even remote outdoor recreation destinations”.
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The Sasquatch package is offered on the Bronco Sport Outer Banks with the 1.5-litre three-cylidner engine, and on the Badlands with 2.0-litre four-cylinder power; in the pre-update Bronco it was reserved for the Badlands.
Under the skin, the Sasquatch picks up a rugged twin-clutch rear drive unit and a locking rear differential.
Bilstein rear shocks feature to deal with bigger hits at higher speeds, and the ride has been raised by 10mm with new springs. The new setup offer 15mm more suspension travel than in the Badlands.
There are 17-inch wheels wrapped in 29-inch Goodyear Territory All Terrain tyres, and the electronic drive mode selector has picked up a new Rally G.O.A.T. mode – yes, that’s Goes Over All Terrain instead of Greatest Of All Time.
It’s designed to deliver more confidence at high speeds on loose surfaces; sharpening up the throttle and steering, and forcing the transmission to hold gears for longer.
A new one-pedal drive mode for off-road rock crawling has been added to the mix, and a version of the off-road cameras offered on some Ranger and Everest variants features.
Externally, you’ll be able to tell the Sasquatch apart from the broader range thanks to its new front brush guard, steel skid plates, and modular bumpers at both ends. Recovery points are easily accessible at both ends, just in case you get stuck.
Ford has made a real effort to make the Bronco Sport Sasquatch easy to customise. Inside, there are handles that can be removed and reinstalled, bolts in a tray atop the dashboard for accessories, and roof-mounted auxiliary switches.
Anyone who spends time lashing kayaks, bikes, or skis to the roof will appreciate the pop-out tie down points beneath the wing mirrors.
The broader Bronco range has been treated to a facelift in line with the reveal of the Sasquatch.
Like the updated Maverick ute, it’s gained a new 13.2-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto inside, along with a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster.
Power still comes from a choice of 1.5-litre three-cylinder EcoBoost (132kW/272Nm), and 2.0-litre four-cylinder EcoBoost (177kW/376Nm) engines.
