The way Ford is going about the media launch of its all-new Bronco is a bit laughable. Instead of allowing journalists to drive the SUV and give their impartial verdict on how it handles both on and off the road, the best you can hope from the company right now is a ride along experience.
Despite having over one million subscribers, the guys running TheStraightPipes YouTube channel didn't even get that. Instead, they were offered full access to a stationary 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands finished in that lovely shade of yellowy-orange called "Cyber Orange Metallic Tri-Coat."
We can't imagine they were happy with the arrangement, but at least they sure made the most of it by arresting the vehicle for a whole 26 minutes during which time no hole was left unexplored. We'll get over the fact that a YT channel with over one-million subscribers uses such limited equipment that you can barely hear one of the two guys most of the time - incidentally, the one doing most of the talking - and focus on the information gained instead.
For starters, we're not big fans of the Sport's front end. We feel it's the least off-roadish on offer, and that's not what you want in a Bronco. However, just because it's not as good as the rest of the bunch, it doesn't necessarily make it bad. No, it's still attractive, just not the option we'd go for.
The vehicle on display there - sporting Canadian plates - was a Badlands edition, which is a pretty self-explanatory name. The first thing we notice is just how narrow the rear doors' opening is. Taller or just overall larger people will struggle to get in there, though there seems to be plenty of room once inside, not least thanks to the Discovery-like scoop in the roofline.
The trunk has a decent size, but the floor is very high. On the upside, that means there is no loading lip to get that heavy suitcase over. The practicality levels are really up with hooks everywhere, pouches on the back of the front seats, and hidden storage under the backseat (which is for shoes or first aid kits, not batteries, as the presenter suggests).
Moving on to the infotainment system, things start off promising with a cool 3D graphics showing a stylized bronco (the actual animal, not the SUV), only for everything to fall apart once you realize it's the same SYNC interface that felt outdated years ago.
The guys go into a lot more detail, so if you're interested to know and see more about the new Bronco's interior, engine selection, and exterior, have a look at the clip below. As we've said, it's 26 minutes long, but it's not like we have anything more exciting on the Bronco to look at, do we?
"Boy meets car, boy loves car, boy gets journalism degree and starts job writing and editing at a car magazine" - 5/5. (Vlad Mitrache if he was a movie) Full profile
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