If it seems that buyers don’t consider the Bronco Sport to be half the serious off-roader its bigger sibling is, well, that’s understandable — even if it’s not true. Regardless of its off-road capabilities, it remains fairly popular, ranking fourth in Ford SUV sales behind the Explorer, Escape and Bronco.
To help convince buyers the Bronco truly possesses off-road capability, Ford unveiled the Bronco Sport Black Diamond Off-Road Package Tuesday, bringing a bit more off-road proficiency and an added dose of style.
“For adventurers who want to get more from their Bronco Sport, we’re enhancing the ownership experience by offering more trail capability with the new Black Diamond Off-Road Package, plus an included opportunity to learn what their SUV can do at Bronco Off-Roadeo,” said Mark Grueber, Enthusiast Vehicle Marketing manager. “Today, nearly 90% of Bronco Sport customers that attend Off-Roadeo are likely to go off-roading again, and 97% of customers are more knowledgeable and confident doing so, furthering our goal of getting into the wild.”
So, what’s new?
The new Black Diamond Off-Road Package will be available on Big Bend and Outer Banks trims, and comes with four additional steel bash plates protecting essential 4×4 powertrain areas including the front metal skid plate, fuel tank protection and the canister shield.
It also gets fancy footwear, wearing distinctive 225/65R17 Carbonized Gray low-gloss aluminum wheels shod with all-terrain tires for added grip. But the package offers more than added protection and grip, it also comes with an extra dose of style, with a matte black hood featuring a Bronco logo, along with lower bodyside graphics on the front doors.
In addition, for the new model year, Bronco Sport owners and order-holders will receive complimentary Bronco Off-Roadeo access. With locations Horseshoe Bay, Texas (near Austin); Mount Potosi, Nevada (near Las Vegas); Moab, Utah; and Gilford, New Hampshire, the Off-Roadeo is an off-road playground, where experts show you to extract the most off-road fun from your Bronco Sport.
The Bronco Sport line-up
Offered as a four-door SUV in Base, Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands trim levels, the first three are powered by a 1.5-liter DOHC EcoBoost inline 3-cylinder engine producing 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque.
Badlands Bronco Sports get a larger 2.0-liter DOHC EcoBoost inline 4-cylinder engine rated at 250 hp and 277 lb-ft. of torque. While both engines are paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, the 2.0-liter’s gearbox comes with manual shift mode and an oil cooler. It also gets additional G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) Modes: Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl. All models get Normal, ECO, Sport, Slippery and Sand modes.
Badlands models also have more ground clearance, 8.6 inches vs. 7.8 inches, as well as greater approach and departure angles, 30/32.8 on the Badlands respectively vs. 21.7/30.4 on other models.
But the Black Diamond Package isn’t offered on the Badlands model, it should prove tempting to buyers of other trim levels.