After 25 years, Ford is rebuilding its iconic Bronco SUV. For the first time, the US wild horse is also officially galloping on German pastures. The first exit awakens nostalgic feelings. The rough retro shell with the round LED googly eyes makes the Bronco look like a toy car.
The history of the Ford Bronco is long and ended a little tragically. She tells of a car that was as untamed and unspoilt as the prairie in Missouri - and then no longer fit into American life. In 1966 the wild horse was born as a two-door car in Pontiac under the leadership of Lee Iacocca. Extremely robust and unusually compact. Almost the first Ford SUV. The long career of the Bronco ended in 1996 because the pony that took over Expedition was too small for the Americans.
25 years later, Ford lets its off-road classic back onto the pasture. For the first time, the Bronco is officially galloping to Germany. Initially only as a four-door with a six-cylinder petrol engine and in a limited number of a few hundred units at prices starting at around 80,000 euros. The reason for the reluctance is easily explained. Back home, they have long since taken their old love back to their hearts. Over 140,000 units have already been sold, Ford can hardly keep up with production, the waiting time is up to a year. Orders are no longer accepted.
We can understand that. Because the charm of the Bronco grabs you immediately. The rough retro shell with the round, googly LED eyes is an edgy and charismatic alternative to the rounded mass-produced goods of these days. The Bronco looks like a cute toy car that you'll want to take out of the box and explore. And like a Playmobil, many parts can be removed in a few simple steps. For example, the four-part hardtop or the frameless doors, which are safely packed and completely disappear into bags. Ford promises that they can be dismantled in just over 8 minutes.
Let's believe then. Two left hands and frosty temperatures during the first test drives in the Alps let us quickly get to the essentials: how does a bronco actually ride? Well, of course, this nag shares little more than his name with the rampaging wild horse of the first hour. At least the boxy ladder frame and rear rigid axle have made it into modern times. Of course not the leaf springs. At the front, the wheels, which are of course suspended individually, strive for directional stability and comfort. The Bronco trots surprisingly civilized and with a remarkable will to steer straight ahead over paved roads.
The steering is not so precise, but accuracy and feeling are okay for a country bully. As far as stability is concerned, the all-clear can also be given. As far as possible, the Bronco also stays upright in faster corners and avoids a staggering gait. Of course, the rough knobs of the all-terrain off-road tires don't give a damn about anything like sophisticated rolling comfort, but they also tell us: Hey, I'm still a guy for the rough. At the latest when we study the performance data that are essential for off-road freaks, we believe that immediately.
The ground clearance is almost 30 centimeters, the short overhangs allow a fairly usable ramp angle and the wading depth is over 85 centimeters - significantly more than the standard meter of all off-roaders, the Jeep Wrangler.
The 2.7-liter six-cylinder bi-turbo fits this two-ton statement of US car culture like an iron to a hoof or a Stetson to a cowboy. A slurping, muffled, rumbling representative of the old school of combustion engines, who likes to take some time after accelerating in order to vehemently drive the load forward. 246 kW/335 hp and a maximum torque of 563 Newton meters help to get a little closer to the ideal of cruising, not to mention the automatic developed by Ford, which usually serves its ten gears on schedule.
Of course, the combination of heavy metal, coarse studs, beefy power and the aerodynamics of a wall unit is not a model of sustainability. The 14.9 liters for 100 kilometers that our on-board computer shows are rather flattering. The ensemble of old hat and grain is something for extremists, not for the last generation.
The dowry already shows how seriously the Bronco takes its mission to dive deep into adventure if necessary. The basis for the getaway car is the so-called terrain management system with seven driving modes. The Americans always need a crisp abbreviation for something like that. That's why Ford calls these programs G.O.A.T. That stands for: Goes over any terrain. Means something like: It goes everywhere.
There are three modes for everyday use (Normal, Eco, Slippery) and four for off-road driving (Sand, Mud, Rocky, Baja Pro mode). Depending on the mode, the response behavior of the steering, accelerator pedal and automatic transmission changes. A two-stage transfer case electronically controls the reduction while driving. A rear differential lock is always on board. If you often go into difficult terrain, you can also order a differential lock for the front, as well as a deactivatable anti-roll bar, which allows even greater axle articulation.
So equipped and with the skills of a daring rider in the saddle, who is not frightened by even the wildest roller coaster ride, the Bronco sometimes reaches grotesque imbalances in the terrain. He effortlessly climbs the steepest slopes and dares down descents that could lead straight to hell. And when all else fails, electronic assistants help us inexperienced asphalt cowboys. A number of riding aids are slumbering in the trail toolbox, which somehow manage to free the robust digger from even the toughest mess. For example, the "Trail Turn Assist" is ingenious, which enables maneuvering in the tightest of spaces. Targeted braking intervention reduces the turning circle by up to 40 percent.
This rough guy is without question a horse stealing pal. Unpretentious and pragmatic. This is also reflected in the interior, which you want to clean with Kärcher immediately after the off-road use. Robust and seemingly indestructible, it does without any tinsel. Everything serves a purpose. From the various handles, to the knock-resistant plastic, to the numerous switches.
The 12-inch touchscreen in the middle of the cockpit almost seems like a foreign body. Which, no doubt, is the complete Bronco. A relic from yesterday. Archaic through and through and somehow out of date. Good this way? Good this way!
Ford Bronco - specifications
