Ford offers four trim levels of the Bronco Sport in the United States, ranging from the Base to the Big Bend, Outer Banks, and Badlands. Over in Brazil, where the Blue Oval will end manufacturing operations this year, the Escape-based crossover will be only available as a Wildtrak.
We’ve heard this nameplate on numerous occasions, and even the mid-size Bronco is available in this configuration stateside. But the question is, what sets the Bronco Sport Wildtrak apart from the North American trim levels?
For starters, Ford offers the 2.0-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder engine instead of the 1.5-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder powerplant. Scheduled to launch on May 20th in the Brazilian market, the off-road utility vehicle features an eight-speed automatic transmission and seven Goes Over Any Terrain driving modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Sand, Mud, and Rock Crawl.
Developed with “a focus on design, performance, versatility, connectivity, and security,” the Wildtrak is eerily similar to the Badlands for the U.S. market so far. A simple look at the design of the 17-inch aluminum wheels further confirms their family tie, and the same can be said about the driver-assist suite that includes adaptive cruise control with stop and go.
Nine airbags, the FordPass mobility app with connected services, a cargo management system, autonomous emergency braking, and pedestrian detection are also listed by the Blue Oval in the press release attached at the end of this article. Ford didn’t mention a single thing about output, but it’s not exactly hard to guesstimate how potent the 2.0-liter motor is.
Produced in Mexico, the Bronco Sport Badlands offers a best-in-class 250 horsepower and 277 pound-feet (376 Nm) of torque with premium gasoline. Turbocharged direct-injection engines generate a lot of heat, which is why the higher octane is recommended to prevent pre-ignition and carbon buildup.
Trims lower than the Badlands make do with 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet (258 Nm) of torque. That is OK for a compact crossover as long as you can live with the sound of three pistons going up and down in the cylinders at high speed to produce peak levels of performance.
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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