Ford Puts More Hair on the Bronco Sport's Chest, New Spec in the Making

But it certainly shouldn't be confused with its bigger sibling, which is an off-road-ready warrior, as the Ford Bronco Sport is basically a Focus with a high ground clearance and a different body. The Blue Oval's C2 platform is also shared with the Escape, Maverick, and Lincoln Corsair.

In theory, there are plenty of Bronco Sport derivatives out there to cater to the needs of most customers looking for a compact crossover. From the entry-level Big Bend to the quirky Heritage and Free Wheeling, and from the Outer Banks to the Badlands, with the latter being the most off-road-focused version of the vehicle.

However, the automaker thinks there is room for additional models in the Ford Bronco Sport family, so they are working on a new one. Our spy photographers caught it testing on the roads of Dearborn, Michigan, in prototype form, with lots of camouflage on the outside. The front and back ends of the vehicle were under thick wraps, making it impossible to spot some key visual differences between it and the rest of the lineup.

Nonetheless, it appears to have a more generous ground clearance compared to the Badlands, and our spies speak of alleged underbody protection, too. The wheels and tires seem to be part of the novelties as well, and if you look at the back end, you will see a pair of extra-long tailpipes. These won't do justice to the model on arduous tracks, but they are an interesting addition – hey, we said interesting, not good-looking.

So, what is Ford planning? The most plausible scenario would be the introduction of a more off-road-focused variant that could make use of the Tremor suffix. Our money would be on this model. A hybrid version was also rumored at one point, though we wouldn't bet on it in this case. Some overenthusiastic readers might also bring the Raptor badge into discussion, but we don’t think that this is a Bronco Sport Raptor. After all, it would need additional bits and pieces, not to mention a serious engine under the hood.

So, what do you think the Dearborn car manufacturer is planning here? Drop a line below and let us know. Who knows, you may be right in the end, and we could be wrong. Still, we will probably have to wait a few months to find out, as whatever this Bronco Sport is, it will likely be unveiled next year, maybe launching as a 2025 model in the United States.