The Ford Bronco is a worthy challenger to the Jeep Wrangler and a five-seater off-road car that can be converted into a convertible!

As many of you may know, I drive a Jeep Wrangler 4xe. The number of five-seater off-road cars that can be converted into convertibles when the weather permits is not many. The old Mercedes G-Class and the small version were, however. If I could have afforded it when it was built, it would have been the dream car. If Mercedes decides to make the new G-Class and preferably the AMG version AMG G63 in the cabriolet version, I will be weak and probably do something stupid to afford to upgrade. Because it wouldn't be cheap in such cases. But it doesn't look like that and maybe the new Ford Ranger is an alternative. It was therefore very fun to take this particular press car out and get to know it for a week. 

The Ford Bronco is by no means a new model. The original model was introduced in 1966 and was built until 1996. During that time five generations came, all of which became famous in some way. One generation, a white variant was for example one that OJ Simpson was hunted in. The model I test drove came in 2021 and that's when the model was reintroduced. The last generation has been released in no less than seven versions. First Edition, Base, Big Bend, Black Diamond, Outer Banks, Badlands and Wild Track. The version I drove was a Badlands. Two versions will come to Sweden, namely Outer Banks and Badlands. It is, as I said, Badlands I had to borrow. 

Converting a Ford Bronco into a convertible is actually easier than my Jeep, and that can be seen as a plus. On the Broncon, you can lift the hardtop in pieces, while on my Jeep it consists of three parts. Two in front over the front seats and then a large section for the rear seats and rear luggage compartment. That part is not something you take off yourself, but you need the help of an extra person. You still have to be two people to remove the hardtop on the Broncon, but thanks to making the hardtop in four parts, two farms, one over the rear seats and one over the rear trunk, and not three like on the Jeep, removal and installation is much easier. Also, the Broncon's hardtop doesn't take up as much space when it's off as the Jeep's. 

I'm not an off-road driver and I'll willingly admit that I've never taken my Jeep out on any more difficult terrain. The off-road capability of the Ford Broncon is at least as good as my Jeep. So you really don't have to worry about getting stuck in the terrain you are exposed to as a normal driver. But in Sweden we are still exposed to a certain type of terrain that in southern Europe you never experience unless you drive up into the mountains then and it is the winter wine here. So the four-wheel drive still comes in handy and gets you where you're going in a safe and secure way, I think. But if you really want to get out and drive, the Broncon has everything you need to keep track of what's going on. With a system called "Trail One Pedal Driving", you can control driving the car but the brake pedal. There are also cameras to keep an eagle eye on the wheels when driving in the wilderness. Via a number of buttons in the ceiling, you can control external additional lighting if you choose to install it. And that is what I can attest to as having installed extra lighting from Vision X on my Jeep. 

The engine in the Ford Bronco is a 2.7 liter Ecoboost engine. It does the job but hard to get it to run smoothly. But like my Jeep, the Ford Bronco suffers from its square shape. It's literally like driving around a barn wall and it's not streamlined anywhere. There is a 10-speed gearbox in it, which does the job just like an engine. Probably more efficient than the engine. 

You have most other electrical aids and amenities such as adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning with cross traffic alert, wireless Carplay. Something I didn't get the chance to try was a tent that can be assembled externally, which sounds extremely practical and cozy. I've slept in my Jeep but being able to attach a tent to the car sounds extremely convenient. 

In hindsight, I will not trade my Jeep Wrangler 4xe for a Ford Bronco Badlands. Partly because my Jeep is a hybrid and I see that as a positive and being able to drive on electricity when it is available and the car is charged. Then I'm on my own whims Jeep is a slightly more fun and classic brand when it comes to this type of car but that's a highly personal opinion.

Ford Beronco Badlands

Basic price: From SEK 1,049,000

Engine: 2.7 liter V6 Ecoboost

Power: 334 hp

Acceleration: 0-100 km/h in 6.7 seconds

Top speed: 165 km/h

Fuel consumption mixed driving according to the manufacturer: No information

Weight: 2.045 kg

Dimensions (Length/Width/Height): 4881mm/1937mm/1962mm