The Made in the USA legend has officially reached the European market: Ford Broncothe American off-road vehicle with surprising capabilities, will also arrive in Italy very soon and a few days ago we had the opportunity to test it in its natural environment, Off road track Immersed in the Emilian Apennines – plenty of mud, fords and rocky fairways to discover Bronco’s adventurous spirit.
But let’s go in order: The first encounter with the Bronco took place in the parking lot of the Reggio-Emilia AV station, where the off-road vehicle deployment could not go unnoticed. 3 colors seen live in this test: Velocity Blue, Cactus Gray and Eruption Green, on models proposed in 2 configurations that will arrive in Europe, called offshore banks And Badlandsthe first with a slightly more comb-over setting, and the second one with a little more hold Bumpy, rough, harsh And dedicated to exclusive off-road.
First impressions: How much does the asphalt fare?
First time behind the wheel of an imposing Bronco – 4.81 meters long and weighing more than 2 tons – in Rosewater A simple transfer from the train station to the center of Modena: the stretch of motorway on which we are traveling makes it immediately clear: the essential details on a car of this type , cleverness. Despite the generous 32-inch off-road tires, the Bronco is just as comfortable on the highway: the power is lacking, thanks to the engine EcoBoost V6 From 2.7 liters it is able to dispense 335 hp and 563 Nm of torque, and once highway cruising speed is reached, the noise inside the passenger compartment is completely contained, albeit there is some rustling from the roof, made up of a series of easily removable blocks as well as the doors and the rest of the upper cab. .
aboard the Bronco Vision It’s perfect, we’re pretty high off the ground and we have big mirrors, but where the mirrors can’t reach, cameras Hey tentacles Located all around the vehicle – as always, the top view is particularly suited to parking manoeuvres.
There’s also the hard, specialized side of the Bronco on the inside, where we have a very logical dashboard designed with simple but effective geometries; Everything is conveniently within reach for those in the front seats and on the sides of the dashboard, near the doors, we find some Solid handles Which becomes of fundamental importance when dealing with uneven terrain. the comfort On board at the highest level, thanks to the comfort Leather seats With the heating function – which we also find on the multifunction steering wheel – and the perfectly functioning suspension, it makes off-road driving very comfortable as well.
Lots of technology on board
The technology sector on board is also very complete, starting with the most widespread such as compatibility with Android Auto And Apple CarPlay Wireless – There is also a wireless charging base, to keep the battery charged while you reverse the navigator – and finish off the most advanced system for off-road driving. he is called Trail Toolbox It consists of systems Track controlAnd Lane Turn Assist And Trail single pedal drive.
The former works similar to a Cruisewith., but with a reduced gear for off-road driving: 1 time Speed desired – from 2.5 km / h up to 31 km / h – the car will maintain it itself, giving us the possibility to focus our efforts on choosing the best route. Trail Turn Assist, activated via a dedicated button at the top of the dash, applies the brakes to lock an inner wheel in order to Reduce turning radius up to 40%, allowing the car to almost run itself, which is a very convenient function in narrow lanes. Finally, we have Trail One-Pedal Drive, a function that allows the driver to accelerate and brake using the throttle onlya bit like electric cars.
The Bronco offers several driving modes, some designed for the streets—Normal, Eco, Sport, and Slippery—and others designed for off-road driving. They are called patterns Goat – runs over any terrain And divided by terrain: we have mud / ruts for driving in the mud, sand for driving in the sand and a driving mode called Baja (exclusively for Bronco Badlands) inspired by the world of racing.
On the asphalt, the Bronco proves to be very comfortable and easy to manage: in the city, on the motorway, on the non-urban roads of the Emilian Apennines full of twists and turns, the Bronco never breaks down and, in fact, with Sport mode also allows you to make some exhilarating turns.
Let’s take the Bronco off-road
But after a few hours of driving on the asphalt, it’s finally time to test this high capacity Off road in its natural habitat, mud: The roads we took on the Bronco were, despite a very hot sunny day, still wet and muddy, with many exits and ups and downs in stretches with very slippery deep ruts.
As expected at first, Bronco’s Outer Banks setting features less extreme details, including Tires:Our sample was fitted with Bridgestone Duelers, not tires specifically designed to bite into the mud and increase grip on slippery ground, but the Bronco completely ignored those details and tackled all the muddy climbs without hesitation, both with a “Cruiseoff-road, both in manual mode. The Bronco has numbers that confirm its pure off-road trajectory: angle of attack up to 40.6 degreesthe exit angle is up to 33.3 degreesuntil 261 mm of ground clearance The ability to cross Streams up to 80 cm from depth.
In the Outer Banks version, the Bronco was equipped with a coil Electronically controlled center differential which is activated through the selector located near the center armrest in the passenger compartment; In the Badlands version, however, the center diff is too tasty It can automatically switch from 2 to 4 wheels as the road surface changes, and Lockable front differential and the stabilizer bar release system, to allow maximum agility on even the roughest terrain.
Under the car we find a large amount of Protective panels For the engine, transmission, transfer case and fuel tank (79 liters): everything is protected to ensure maximum resistance even when hitting a stone or log, the best way to enjoy off-road outings without fears.
Is it worth it?
Ford brought the Bronco to Italy for the first time, an off-road vehicle with a lot of technology and capable of offering very high levels of comfort: the car’s motto is “Wilds built‘, which we can macaronically translate as ‘unruly building’, to emphasizeWild Bronco Spirit – Spanish word for rough, rough, then adopted by American cowboys to refer to the i Especially hard-to-tame horses -but this off-road vehicle is an all-around vehicle that is rugged, rugged, and capable of Sunday outings, but also comfortable and easy to drive in everyday life. The 2023 Bronco has been tamed, however She has not lost her wild spirit: To open it, just put the wheels on the mud and activate the 4×4 driving mode and before returning to everyday life, all you have to do is go to the car wash.
Ford Bronco It can already be ordered in Italy and the first deliveries are expected to start in July: offshore banks And BadlandsThe two trim levels planned for the European market are easily distinguishable thanks to the side badges and front grille in different designs, and they also differ in price. 78,000 euros For the outer banks, whenever the setup is road ready, e.g 81,000 euros Badlands is for those who want the best of the best for off-road riding. There will also be a very basic version in the US price list, which is supposed to have a much lower price and much less complete equipment, it is really unfortunate that Ford has decided not to market it in Europe, reserving for us the more complete one that has a much more compelling price.
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