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2021 Ford Bronco Active Suspension System May Feature "G.O.A.T. Modes"

A mid-sized SUV on a mid-sized truck platform, the 2021 Bronco is Ford’s way of challenging Jeep and the Wrangler crowd. The thing is, the newcomer may one-up the old guard with an active suspension system unlike anything else we’ve seen.
2021 Ford Bronco Active Suspension System May Feature "G.O.A.T. Modes" 33 photos
Photo: USPTO via Motor Trend
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Motor Trend has recently discovered a patent filing of “a complex mating of hardware and software” that combines the suspension system to a monitoring system that tracks the “traffic, weather, terrain, and even what kind of music you’re listening to.” In addition to the patent, the Blue Oval has also trademarked “G.O.A.T. Modes” for “drive systems comprised of automatic controls for vehicle chassis and powertrain controllers.”

It’s too early to guess what G.O.A.T. stands for, but chances are that we’re dealing with an acronym for Get Over Any Terrain or Go On Every Terrain. Moving on to the modes per se, four of them are called Entertainment, Music Mode, Daredevil, and Cradle.

Cradle as in baby cradle? That’s definitely the case once you read the description of this mode (“assigns a low-frequency movement to the vehicle.”) There’s even a Novice Driver setting as well as Fun-to-Drive, City Mobility, Freight, Traffic, and Utility settings.

The patent or the trademark don’t mention the Bronco at all, yet it’s hard to think about any other upcoming nameplate that would put this technology to better use. It’s also worth highlighting that the active suspension and terrain-response system with G.O.A.T. Modes may be optional extras reserved only to the higher trim levels of the Bronco.

On that note, Ford has pushed back the unveiling of the Wrangler’s nemesis because of certain global events. Previewed by the Bronco R racing truck, the series-production model will be offered with two- and four-door options as well as two turbo’d engines.

The entry-level choice is – obviously enough – the 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder of the Ranger pickup truck. Higher up, the range-topping option is likely to arrive in the guise of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost six-cylinder based on a certain promo clip of the Bronco R. In the Edge ST, this engine develops 335 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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