2025 Ford Bronco Sport Doubles Down on the Off-Road Lifestyle

The Ford Bronco Sport is just like every other compact SUV in most ways. It rides on a unibody platform, offers a choice of turbocharged three- and four-cylinder engines, and has a comfortable five-seat cabin with plenty of technology and connectivity features. But because Ford decided to adorn this otherwise mainstream crossover with the Bronco name, it comes with elevated expectations for off-road capability. To further this narrative, for 2025 Ford is porting over the big Bronco’s Sasquatch off-road package to its little sibling, and we’ve just gotten a chance to climb rocks in this new variant to see how it performs.The newly available Sasquatch package is offered on the Bronco Sport’s top two trim levels, Outer Banks and Badlands. The Outer Banks Sasquatch has the 180-hp turbo 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine, while the Badlands Sasquatch comes standard with the more powerful 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four engine. Both versions have upgrades including a torque-vectoring rear differential, all-terrain tires, recovery hooks, a Trail Control function with a one-pedal off-road driving mode, a 360-degree camera system, and additional skid plates. The Badlands Sasquatch has additional suspension components including Bilstein rear dampers and front and rear springs that increase suspension travel and ground clearance by nearly an inch. It also comes with extra drive modes including Rally and Rock Crawl.The Badlands Sasquatch is clearly the one to have, not only because of these chassis upgrades but also because the 2.0-liter engine is what you want both on- and off-road. It’s far more responsive than the underpowered three-banger in the lesser versions, and it offers more low-end torque for powering over obstacles. In our testing, the 2.0-liter previously got to 60 mph in 5.9 seconds, while the 1.5-liter clocked in at 8.2 seconds, and we expect the 2025 model to deliver similar results.We found the new Badlands Sasquatch to be enjoyable to pilot over various terrain, as it’ll happily drift around in sand at higher speeds or crawl up and down rocky passes. It’s a bit louder at highway speeds than the standard Bronco Sport on paved roads due to its Goodyear Territory RT All-Terrain tires, but it otherwise handles well and requires few compromises in terms of everyday refinement.Other changes to the entire 2025 Bronco Sport lineup include a larger 13.2-inch infotainment screen, some additional grab handles inside, and auxiliary switches on the roof console that can be hooked up to accessories. Nearly all trims now offer an off-road package, as the base Big Bend model has a $2570 Black Diamond package that’s sort of a Sasquatch-lite and includes all-terrain tires, skid plates, recovery hooks, and other rugged extras. FordAs the Bronco Sport leans further into its off-road image, it remains an appealing choice among compact SUVs and offers more capability than its close rivals. But you will have to pay up for this ruggedness, as both of the Sasquatch models carry price tags of over $40,000. At that point, we’d start looking at the real-deal Bronco—starting at $39,890 for a four-door model—if we left the pavement regularly. Even so, the Sasquatch package delivers what it promises, and you can always forgo it for one of the less expensive Bronco Sport models if you want the appearance of being an off-roader more than the actual experience.SpecificationsSpecifications
2025 Ford Bronco Sport
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE

Base: Big Bend, $31,590; Free Wheeling, $34,730; Heritage, $34,990; Outer Banks, $36,890; Badlands, $41,710
ENGINES

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve 1.5-liter inline-3, 180 hp, 200 lb-ft; turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve 2.0-liter inline-4, 250 hp, 280 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION

8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 105.0–105.1 in
Length: 173.1–175.1 in
Width: 74.3 in
Height: 70.4–72.1 in
Passenger Volume, F/R: 53–56/50 ft3
Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 60–65/29–33 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 3500–3900 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)

60 mph: 5.9–8.1 sec
1/4-Mile: 14.5–16.2 sec
Top Speed: 118–125 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/City/Highway: 23–27/21–25/26–30 mpgDespite being raised on a steady diet of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or perhaps because of it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive industry throughout his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He found a way to write about cars for the school newspaper during his college years at Rice University, which eventually led him to move to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first professional auto-writing gig at Automobile Magazine. He has been part of the Car and Driver team since 2016 and now lives in New York City.  
Source: caranddriver.com