Before the Ford Motor Company unveiled the Bronco in July 2020 for the 2021 model year, we all knew that it'd be rocking the Ranger pickup truck's platform. With the Ranger available in Europe, prospective customers expected the second-largest automaker of the Big Three in Detroit to bring the Bronco to the EU and the UK. Their hopes were immediately shot down, though.
Even so, gray import channels kicked into overdrive. Dealers that include Clive Sutton in the United Kingdom started bringing the off-road sport utility vehicle to the Old Continent, charging exorbitant prices for the EcoBoost-powered overlander. Come July 2022, the Blue Oval confirmed that its most off-road SUV yet would eventually cross the Atlantic in 2023, albeit in very limited numbers and only in LHD markets.
Fast forward to March 2023, and the Dearborn-based automaker confirmed that only the Outer Banks and Badlands in four-door configuration will arrive in European showrooms before year's end. German dealers have started taking orders for these no-nonsense grades, and their starting prices are ridiculously high compared to what they cost back home in the United States. More specifically, the Outer Banks and Badlands carry MSRPs of 74,500 and 78,500 euros in Deutschland.
That's $80,940 and $85,290 at current exchange rates. By comparison, the Outer Banks with the 2.7-liter EcoBoost – which is the standard engine in Europe – costs $52,375 in the United States. The Badlands with said powerplant is $54,715 (sans destination charge).
The question is, why even consider the Bronco in Europe? Prospective customers need to understand there is a good alternative in the form of the Ranger Raptor, which appeared in Europe before the United States. Equipped with 33-inch tires, just like the Badlands, the truck is €74,196.50 in Germany or $56,960 stateside.
There is, however, a reason to pick the Bronco over the Ranger. That reason is the badge. Further still, the Bronco Outer Banks and Bronco Badlands are – and will forever be – much rarer in the UE and the UK than the Ranger Raptor. What are you getting for the money?
As far as the Outer Banks is concerned, LED headlights and high-beam assistant open the list. 18-inch alloys, Ford SYNC infotainment and navigation, B&O audio, 360-degree cameras, partial leather upholstery, adaptive cruise control, intelligent speed limiter, and the aforementioned 2.7-liter EcoBoost pretty much seal the deal. Oxford White is the only no-cost exterior paint color, whereas everything else ranges between 1,200 and 1,300 euros (make that 1,305 and 1,415 dollars).
As for the Badlands, look forward to smaller wheels and larger tires, a beefier front bumper, matte-black rather than body-color fender flares, roof rails, plus locking diffs fore and aft. Both the Badlands and lesser Outer Banks come with the molded-in-color black hard top.
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. Full profile
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