International Off-Road Expo: Bronco Photos and Q&A Answers (UPDATED)

[RedDawg]

You’re welcome!! I remember looking at the OBX model and thinking “who the heck needs these tube steps on here?” The OBX is so much lower to the ground compared to the Badlands and SAS. Im sure some people need the step though.

When I sat in the OBX at Sanderson, the step seemed unreasonable for me. I’m 5’ 10” and it kinda got in the way as I was stepping out,

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[North7]

I'm in the aerospace industry, all of that is just another day at the office.

Many of us have seen and commented over the months how Ford was still figuring out everything as they go and that is why the entire release process has been so chaotic. Some said those observations were just a bunch of whinners.

Well now the truth finally comes out that Ford is in fact still trying to figure it out as they go. I'm not speaking about delays due to Covid, that is to be expected. We are talking about Ford management dealing with those impacts and making hard decisions, like maybe the reveal should have been delayed until 2021 or not having interns in charge of so many things or improving customer communications.

Now every new delay and misstep causes some to have less faith for Ford to get the Bronco right in the near term, some of us may choose to wait a couple of years for some of the issues to be resolved.

 

[edgeflyer]

Everyone calm down about timing chains. Y'all are going to give 2.3 buyers anxiety they don't need. These motors are the same as anything else. Timing chains and guides wear and have automatic tensioners to compensate. Most OHC motors have had sparatic issues with weaknchain tensioners causing startup rattles, but rarely cause catastrophic engine issues. You will not need to regularly replace the timing chain on either motor. THERE IS NOTHING DIFERENT ABOUT THESE MOTORS OTHER THAN TURBOS! Google Jeep, Dodge, Chevy timing chain rattle if you think Ford is the only one that has had issues. If you are buying a 2.3, please don't be bothered by these statements.

 

[bronc'o]

If you're mall crawling on 37" tires then cool, if you're rock crawling on 37s, I think I'd be worried about axle/cv durability.

I personally think 35s look better, especially on a 2 door. 37s are just too big for the Bronco frame... just my opinion.

 

[MrJoe]

When I sat in the OBX at Sanderson, the step seemed unreasonable for me. I’m 5’ 10” and it kinda got in the way as I was stepping out,

What would you guess is the height difference between the Badlands and OBX? More than an inch or two?

 

[Gasherbrum]

Is the 2.7L Auto combination actually $1895? Yes, and it’s a steal.

So if you're ordering a sasquatch (which includes an auto on the current B & P), shouldn't the cost of going to a 2.7 from a 2.3 in theory be only $300 additional? - i.e. the difference over the separate automatic charge of $ 1,595? On the current B&P you are charged the full $1,895 for a 2.7 even though you're already paying for the auto in the Sasquatch package.

 

[CanadianFord]

Regarding the fishing concept build, has anyone heard any rumors as to what else will be available to mount on the front corner markers, like the platform on that concept and limb risers? I.e. a wider platform, light bar, jack, etc.

 

[Southern Girl]

What would you guess is the height difference between the Badlands and OBX? More than an inch or two?

He said BL is 24" and OBX is 20"

 

[acetdeucy]

12/5 - SECOND DAY UPDATE WITH QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS

Hey everyone!!

Just finished up at the Bronco reveal at the Scottsdale expo!! They presented the Trail Concept, the Fishing Concept, and a rapid red Bronco Sport. I met some 6G members (shout out to @RedDawg for spotting me at the expo haha. And big props to @Cold_steel for going crazy with the investigative photography).

I asked A BUNCH of your questions and had a great conversation with the Ford Bronco product specialist (he’s also a Ford performance driver) on the expo floor. He was a straight shooter and loves the competition between 6G and BN!! He said some of you are a real pain in the ass though haha! I must say he really knew his stuff. He admitted when he didn’t know as well. I had to parse through my 30 mins of discussion recordings on my phone to summarize answers, but boy oh boy do I have some info for y’all! See below!

When will white MIC tops be available?
HA! Tricked ya. You thought I’d actually ask the Bronco rep this question? We all know the answer is “not in the 2021 model year”. Now, on to the questions I actually asked....

What’s going on with the B&P? There’s going to be an update but how much of it is changing?
The B&P was essentially released to allow people to order the Bronco Sport. Ford threw the Bronco on there shortly afterward as a way for you to start looking at stuff. A lot of it is still being determined.

Is the inability to add certain packages and accessories on different trims a GVWR issue? Are they B&P glitches?
Some of them are glitches but some of them may continue to be unavailable due to safety concerns with GVWR. Product development is still trying to figure a lot of that out. Stay tuned for the B&P update in January.

Any concerns about the floor air vents in the washout interior?
None at all. They’re designed well.

What’s the difference between the high performance instrumental and dash panels vs the standard? Soft touch vs alternative?
It’s still undefined at the moment but Ford knows it wants to offer high durability dash and instrument panel (think more grippy and rugged) vs a high trim dash and panel (glossy, finer finish, but not as compatible with rugged lifestyle). ”They’re trying to think far enough ahead accessories-wise but can’t put it out there quite yet.”

Is the 2.7L Auto combination actually $1895? Yes, and it’s a steal.

Can you delete the spare tire at order? No. You cannot.

Is the vehicle flat towable?
At the moment, the manual is and the automatic is not. They’re still working out kinks with the auto transmission setup. The goal is to have both flat towable in neutral gear for MY21 release.

Standard speaker system vs B&O? What are the size of tweeters and subs?
Doesn’t know. Need to talk to the B&O guys. Apparently they designed both the standard and upgraded system.

Will there be a standalone options for 2” lift kit?
Yes. It will be one of 200 accessories in the updated B&P.

What’s the difference between the High Package sound deadening and the Roof sound deadening?
High package sound deadening is to directly reduce road noise with the top on or off. It’s in the body of the car. The roof sound deadening that is available separately is for those who ride with the hard top on. It’s low-weight insulation added to reduce wind noise.

Can you get just a soft top and skip the MIC top? No. You can order both. You’ll have to wait til MY22 to get just the soft top.

What color are you getting? Area 51 without a doubt. It’s not baby blue. Don’t let the photos fool you. It looks great.

What is your favorite accessory? What can you not go without?
The 12” screen. It‘s the dumbest thing, but I have to have it. It provides a lot wider camera view (they must not adapt the view for the 8” screen) and just looks like it belongs. The 8” is fine but the 12” is the way to go.

Why was navy pier the only option on the FE?
That is a perfect example of what happens when customers rant and complain. FE reservation holders made themselves heard and they got black interiors at 4PM 12/4 because of it. I guarantee that 98% of the people who chose to only put navy pier in the FE never actually saw it in person during development. They didn’t know what it looked like.

Why haven’t we seen cloth interiors a lot? How is the cloth?
1) The concept model in cactus grey with the “Nintendo“ white and red interior color scheme was a cloth interior. 2) A lot of the performance demos that have been tested have the cloth and it is great. It’s more of a fiber or thicker synthetic. It doesn’t get hot. It’s robust. 3) Ford just tends to demo their more luxurious interiors.

Will we be able to swap the grilles at order? Can we mix and match?
There will be stuff coming. The R&D folks have been messing around with that.

SIDE CONVO ABOUT COVID
Covid has been very challenging. We can’t go to our vendors because they’re locked down. We can’t try out materials and package combos and fits. It’s been very limited. We’re doing our best to test what we can.

Are the molle panels on the back of the seats included with all interior types?
Yes. They‘re on all of them.

Why in the hell is the back of the MGV interior rear seats carpet?
*whispers “To be honest, I have no idea” hahaha* It’s preproduction. It may have been what was available for construction of the model. The Bronco Sport has plastic backing in the cargo. The back of the front seats on the Bronco models are a plastic molle grid. More than likely, the design team will make the back of the rear seats out of plastic. There’s a lot more to finish before manufacturing for production.

Why are there dedicated accent colors in the trim interiors? Can we swap out colors on the interior (not the stitching but the grab handles and vent switches)? Will the Wildtrak really have A51 accents in it?
”God I hope not....if so, then Ray Charles designed it.” Hahaha love it
He said that he expects the accents to either be customizable or to come in the color of your vehicle. That, or they will be a black or neutral color by the time we order. He didn’t seem too sure, but he was definitely on board with those accents not being strictly held to each trim.

If you get a Wildtrak and add the Modular Bumper, will the wiring still be there for the fog lights?
Doesn’t know. That would be an Esteban question.

SIDE CONVO
Bronco Nation is going to start doing question and answer sessions on Mondays or Wednesdays. They will take 5-10 questions and field them to the proper groups at Ford to get answers. They will be live sometimes. Pretty nice!! Wish they had been doing that all along but they seem to figuring things out which is fine. The BN guys really want to prevent non-factual info from spreading like wildfire and misinforming customers. Hopefully we can start managing this well on 6G too. This product specialist has been working on Bronco for three years and worked on Mustang GT in a basement for 4.5 years.

Are there going to be other steps available besides the tube steps?
At the international off-road expo, the product specialist shared the Bronco rock rail design specifications with Rock Slider reps at their booth (automated kick-out step third-party vendor). They’re hoping to collaborate ahead of time as much as possible to expedite aftermarket part availability. (I’ll take pics of the Rock Slider steps tomorrow morning for reference).

Difference between the SAS and Badlands suspension/lift?
Barely any difference. The SAS is ~10mm higher, so step in height is about the same as the badlands with 33s (24” step in based on the iPhone AR measurement below)

What other models do you have running around for display? The overlander is in Mammoth right now. He’s also got a VELOCITY BLUE build that should be making the rounds soon (I died on the inside when he said that. So excited!)

Any measurable hit to MPG with the SAS package?
Don’t know yet. The EPA is really strict on testing and market claims, so we haven’t been able to make a statement on that yet. Ford has a state-law driven goal (California specifically) of hitting 40-45 MPG across it’s entire vehicle portfolio (on average). Any misclaims to MPG can impact that vehicle marketing claim. They’re very careful with what they advertise. They also get penalized for over-claiming MPG.

What’s going on with the camera and the winch?
It’s going to stay as is. Maybe there’s a workaround in the future. But honestly, it’s not that bad. You don’t need the full 200 degree view in front. The winch doesn’t block too much and you can utilize the front camera for crawling without a problem (He’s done it a bunch so I would imagine he knows).

What size cooler is in the Fishing Concept?
The cooler is a 45Q with dimensions 27” x 17” x 16”.

OTHER QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS FIELDED BY @Cold_steel

Aside from Wheels/tires and larger bump stops- Is there any other difference between a Badlands and a Badlands Sasquatch?
There is also a slight suspension lift. There are some parts that are not the same part number in the suspension between Badlands and Sasquatched Badlands. He empathized that it was a very slight lift, and clarified this is beyond the lift provided by just adding larger tires.

I know the winch obstructs the front camera, but does the OEM brush guard?
Camera is tilted down and does not show the OEM brush guard bar in the view. (I looked at the cam angle on the 4 door and this is believable.)

Will there be a pull out tailgate on the 2 door?
Cargo area is too short behind rear to really accommodate one.

Can the rear lift up glass clear the spare so it can open with the rear door closed?
No. The door/spare must be open and out of the way

END OF QUESTIONS

PHOTOS
I do not know why they had blue/purple strobe lights at the exhibit. It made the colors super weird ?. The engine model is a 2.3Eco. I measured the step in height in the 33” Badlands concept and confirmed tire size for reference.

Please request more pictures if you’d like. I’ll be back Saturday morning to focus more on photos and the rest of the expo.

Hey SHLYGRR,

Thank you... this was the Best and most concise review I've read since the debut! Keep up the good work!

Oh, try to get a confirmation on the wheel offset on a Wildtrak/FE/Sasquatch. I would expect that these would all be the same... and I have the hardest time believing that a +55mm that was recently posted could be the right answer.

 

[MrJoe]

He said BL is 24" and OBX is 20"

4 inch difference is more than I'd expect. If true, that would be perfect for me.

 

[Southern Girl]

4 inch difference is more than I'd expect. If true, that would be perfect for me.

Basically, the OBX is the exact height of my 4x4 F150 on 32s with no lift.

 

[Used2jeep]

I like the 2 inch optional lift Availability as well as the comment about interior trim colors matched to trim (i.e. orange in Badlands, Blue in Wildtrk) which may not hold to production and might have neutral/other color options or tied to exterior - that would be great. Not sure he is 100% in the know but sounds good, hope he’s right.

Question on 2" lift - is that over and above BL or over and above Squatch? OR is it only over and above stock?

 

[Bronc-O]

You’re welcome!! I remember looking at the OBX model and thinking “who the heck needs these tube steps on here?” The OBX is so much lower to the ground compared to the Badlands and SAS. Im sure some people need the step though.

That was one thing that I noticed getting into the Outer Banks. The step up was a bit high for me and I was relying heavily on the grab handle.

 

[jxc]

Difference between the SAS and Badlands suspension/lift?
Barely any difference. The SAS is ~10mm higher, so step in height is about the same as the badlands with 33s (24” step in based on the iPhone AR measurement below)

Thanks for getting this answered!

 

[Blueoval]

I'm not sure what he was getting at. The 2.3 has been in service since 2015 or so, with tens of millions of street miles by now. Any research shows it's quite a robust engine that should last a good amount of miles. I keep my cars a long time too, so I understand your concerns. Other than a turbo to add complexity, its a regular ole 4-cylinder. I'm pretty sure it was designed with turbo charging from the onset, so I'd expect it well meets Ford's durability specs.

The 2.7 is turbo as well, so I see no better advantage to that engine over the 2.3 regarding durability.

The main reason for the 2.7 when it comes to long term reliability is the use of direct and port injection. This helps reduce carbon buildup on the valves. The 2.3 is a great engine, but can suffer from excess carbon build up (as do a lot of direct injection turbo engines). Adding port injection helps a lot. The 2.3 is a phenomenal engine and can safely make a lot of power, but long term I would suggest a catch can do deal with blow by for the 2.3
(https://www.motorauthority.com/news/1127533_why-some-engines-use-direct-and-port-injection)

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