First Edition is how Ford calls the most expensive Bronco Sport variant, which starts at $38,500 excluding freight. The plusher brother of the Badlands packs the same engine as the off-road model, namely a 2.0-liter EcoBoost as opposed to 1.5 liters and three cylinders for lower trims.
The question is, how fast is this powerplant in the real world? Thankfully for prospective customers, Andre Smirnov from TFL had the opportunity to find out at IMI Motorsport. Because the acceleration test was performed at a mile above sea level, you could take a second off the result.
Over two runs, the most Andre could squeeze out is 7.26 seconds, which is alright if you also consider the higher ground clearance over the Escape on which the Bronco Sport is based. Speaking of which, the Ford-badged compact crossover dashes to 60 miles per hour (96 kilometers per hour) in under 6.0 seconds according to multiple independent reviews.
Andre says the Bronco Sport with the most potent engine available offers “a lot of power initially. The acceleration feels really good, but it slows down a little at 45 miles per hour (72 kilometers per hour). I’m not sure why.” Andre does recommend the 2.0-liter powerplant over the 1.5-liter EcoBoost with 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet (258 Nm), though.
The four-cylinder mill also makes a lot of sense for off-road shenanigans because the First Edition and Badlands feature water cooling instead of air cooling for the power takeoff unit. Fifty percent of the torque can be channeled to the rear axle, and that happens automatically when front slippage is detected. As opposed to an open-style differential for 1.5-liter versions, the 2.0-liter engine option sweetens the deal with multi-plate clutch packs.
This configuration enables active torque vectoring, but somewhat curiously, the clutch packs are not actively cooled. That explains the PTU overheating issue we’ve covered only recently, proving that the Bronco Sport is more of a lifestyle off-roader than a proper off-roader such as the mid-sized Bronco.
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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