Ford Bronco 2022 Review – International

Since the 2022 Ford Bronco isn’t sold in Australia, the subject of pricing is purely academic. But it is fascinating to look at how the tough, retro-styled SUV has been positioned in the US market.

There, the Bronco is offered in an incredible 10 model grades that consists of a base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Heritage Edition, Badlands, Wildtrak, Everglades, Heritage Limited Edition and the Raptor.

Perhaps most astonishing is that save for the Everglades and Raptor introduced a few months ago, all model grades are available with either a two- or four-door body, offering buyers an enormous choice.

Interestingly, one of the most enticing members of the Bronco family is the very cheapest base model that’s priced from $US32,295 ($A50,700).

At the top of the tree is the fastest, most powerful Ford Bronco Raptor that’s priced from $US73,780 ($A115,800).

For context, the 2022 Jeep Wrangler range is priced from $81,450 to $90,450 plus on-road costs in Australia, where the Bronco would likely be positioned along similar lines as a premium model.

What are the chances of it coming here? They’re looking better than ever, with a recent vote of confidence from senior global Ford management – including CEO Jim Farley – and the creation of a local right-hand drive conversion facility that will start pumping out the Ford F-150 pick-up from mid-2023.

That leaves the door open for other models, including the Bronco, which Ford Australia has organised for us to drive from Detroit. So things are looking up…

Choose the cheapest 2022 Ford Bronco and you get a 4x4 that can shed its doors and roof but still comes with everything you’ll ever need.

As standard, you get a seven-speed manual (six-speeds plus a crawler gear), the punchy 224kW 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, all-wheel drive and five-mode terrain management software.

As far as standard kit goes, the base model bags LED headlights, cruise control, an 8.0 -inch SYNC4 infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and a set of 16-inch steel rims wrapped with all-season tyres.

If you want a 10-speed auto, that will cost an extra $US1895 ($A2975), although a four-door body (that still allows you to remove the doors and hard-top) costs a hefty $US4150 ($A6515) more.

Must-have options include the tube doors $US1810 ($A2850) that add extra alfresco protection when the doors are off. There’s also a $US1350 ($A2200) soft-top that doesn’t look that great but is claimed to provide adequate weather protection, when needed.

Sitting near the top of the range, with only the Heritage Limited Edition and Raptor above it, is the recently launched 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades we’re driving here.

Priced at $US53,895 ($A71,000), the Bronco Everglades is claimed to offer “confidence-inspiring” off-roading – and Ford isn’t kidding.

As standard, the Everglades gets full-time all-wheel drive, a 10-speed automatic, a locking rear differential, a factory-fit snorkel for deeper wading and heavy-duty Warn winch installed within a specially developed steel bumper.

Helping justify its price premium further, the high-grade Bronco bags dual-zone climate control, an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster, a larger 12-inch infotainment system with natural speak voice recognition, connected navigation for the most up-to-date traffic information, reverse parking sensors and cameras.

The Everglades rides on 17-inch alloy wheels that are shod with huge 35-inch mud-terrain tyres, with grip enhanced further by a seven-mode terrain management system.

Helping it deal with serious off-roading unscathed are front and underbody bash plates, rock rails and front and rear tow hooks. There’s also a set of heavy-duty roof rails to carry extra tyres and rims.

Inside, there’s marine-grade vinyl front seats (with heating) and plenty of power sockets, plus a seven-speaker sound system that includes a subwoofer.

In Australia, the Bronco would be protected by a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. In the US, Ford recommends servicing the Everglades every 10,000 miles (16,000km) but urges regular oil changes at half that distance, depending on use.

The 2022 Ford Bronco comes with the latest Ford Co-Pilot 360 advanced driving assistance suite that includes autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection.

On higher-grade models, like the Bronco Everglades driven here, you also get blind spot alert, rear cross traffic warning, lane departure warning and lane keep assist, plus adaptive cruise control.

Since it’s not sold in Europe yet, the Bronco has not yet been tested by Euro NCAP. However, it has been independently reviewed by the US Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and received an ‘acceptable’ overall rating.

Other testing has also been carried out by the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), which rated it four stars (out of five) for frontal impact and three stars for rollover protection.

Interestingly, a loophole in the US means cars without doors (or which feature removeable doors) do not have to undergo side-impact testing. Regardless, Ford went ahead and engineered the Bronco to pass anyway. It does so even without the doors fitted, thanks to a novel curtain airbag system.

Ford has also designed and engineered off-road accessories such as a steel front bumper and heavy-duty winch to pass its strictest crash safety tests.

An example is the optional winch and steel bumpers that have been designed to work with the standard safety features of the car, including the airbags that still deploy properly on impact – not something that can always be said for third-party-supplied gear.

Ford hasn’t tried to reinvent the wheel when it comes to the technology employed in the 2022 Ford Bronco.

But what is a bit of a shock is that even the most hard-core off-road adventurers can now order the SUV of their dreams direct from the factory.

This is pretty radical as many 4x4 enthusiasts tend to head straight for the aftermarket in order to ensure their new vehicle copes with life in the bush.

With Bronco, Ford has worked with a variety of quality suppliers and then tested the equipment itself to ensure it meets the Blue Oval’s durability standards.

This ranges from its Dana axles and optional trick Bilstein position-sensitive dampers to its Terrain Management System with G.O.A.T modes (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) software that can individually tickle each brake calliper to maximise traction.

There’s also a Trail turn assist system that holds the brakes on the inside wheels to help pivot it around tight corners, plus a one-pedal off-road driving mode and hill descent control developed for the steepest slopes.

There are three powertrain options with the 2022 Ford Bronco, starting with the 2.3-litre turbocharged four-cylinder from the Mustang that we’re testing here and which pumps out 224kW and 441Nm of torque.

There’s also a bigger 2.7-litre twin-turbo V6 from the Explorer that musters 246kW/563Nm, while at the top of the pile the Bronco Raptor uses a 311kW/597Nm version of the twin-turbo 3.0-litre V6 found in the new Ford Ranger Raptor.

Performance figures are hard to come by for the Bronco, but with the least powerful engine, combined with the quickest 10-speed auto, we expect a 0-100km/h time of around 7.5 seconds.

The mightier V6 turbo should post a 0-100km/h of 6.5 seconds while the fastest Bronco Raptor might even be capable of 5.5sec sprint.

As far as towing goes, the Bronco can only manage to haul a disappointing 3500lb (1588kg), although the Bronco Raptor can tow a little more at 4500lb (2041kg).

Under US EPA testing, the 2022 Ford Bronco can average 13.2L/100km with the smallest 2.3 turbo-four, 12.4L/100km with the more powerful twin-turbo V6 and 15.7L/100km with the Bronco Raptor.

So the Bronco is a pretty thirsty beast in all configurations, which is perhaps unsurprising considering the conventional powertrains on offer and that it tips the scales at about 2.3 tonnes, depending on the variant.

Such is the off-road orientation of the 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades we drove in the US, the newest addition to the Blue Oval’s 4x4 wagon line-up clearly isn’t the best all-rounder and wouldn’t be our first pick if it formed part of an Australian launch line-up.

To unlock the Bronco Everglades’ off-road abilities, you have to endure its huge 35-inch mud-terrain rubber in all driving situations.

Sure, the Bronco has been engineered to run on the fat tyres, with the stability control and ABS calibrated to suit.

But the numb steering, limited grip level, body roll and occasional shudder through its ladder-frame chassis didn’t create a great first impression.

We think the most basic two-door Bronco on modest 16-inch wheels, or the flagship Bronco Raptor, would make a better fist of road driving duties.

The poor door seals also make the Bronco irritating on a longer-distance cruise, with extra road, tyre and wind noise permeating the cabin. You’d be much better off with the latest Ranger ute.

That said, the driving dynamics and ride felt better than the last Jeep Wrangler we drove, which is most likely related to the front independent suspension.

If that wasn’t enough to take the edge off the Bronco experience, the 10-speed automatic felt frenetic with the 2.3-litre turbocharged engine, constantly shuffling cogs to try and keep on top of the limited torque – and the Everglades’ hefty 2364kg kerb weight.

If it were us, we’d throw on a set of smaller wheels until it was time to escape on an adventure or splash out on the more powerful V6 turbo.

Context is everything and it’s off-road that the 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades will really be in its element.

Unfortunately, our limited drive around Detroit suburbs were not the ideal place for a bit of urban off-roading. But it’s important to note that, from those in the know, when the going gets rough the Bronco is one of the most capable off-roaders the Blue Oval has ever built.

In the case of the Bronco Everglades, Ford has engineered the SUV for those who need to frequently cross rivers, or other watery hazards. That explains not only the snorkel but the reason why engineers raised the vents for the axles higher.

The result is a Bronco that can wade through an incredible 925mm of water – 74mm more than the standard model, and around 70mm more than a regular Wrangler.

To cope in the most slippery conditions, the Mud and Ruts mode (just one of the seven terrain modes) also pre-arms the rear limited-slip diff for sludge and river beds.

Both high and low gearing ratios are also available, although a front camera remains on the options list.

If you do get stuck, remember there’s a heavy-duty winch that can haul up to 4500kg.

With the 2022 Ford Bronco Everglades, the tough SUV gets weatherproof marine-grade vinyl seat upholstery that feels better than it sounds.

The instrument panel is clear and the 12-inch infotainment system is easy and intuitive to use, while the overall design and ambience doesn’t feel at odds with its $71,000 price tag.

Average road handling aside on big tyres, the 2022 Ford Bronco is a deeply impressive SUV and one that provides formidable opposition to not only the Jeep Wrangler but more expensive rivals like the new-generation Land Rover Defender.

We love the level of factory-developed upgrades available and think its glorious looks and huge breadth of talent would make it a winner in Australia.

Of course, the lack of diesel power and poor towing capability (at least in US spec for now) are limiting factors.

With no short-term prospect of factory right-hand drive production, the bigger problem is the added cost of third-party right-hook conversion that would no doubt push an Aussie-spec Bronco into Defender territory.

That’s a shame because at current US pricing, on smaller wheels, the go-anywhere Ford Bronco is near irresistible.

2022 Ford Bronco Everglades at a glance:
Price: $71,000 est (plus on-road costs)
Available: To be confirmed
Engine: 2.3-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol
Output: 224kW/441Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.2L/100km (US EPA Combined)
CO2: 322g/km (US EPA Combined)
Safety rating: Acceptable (IIHS 2022)