Ford’s Bronco Everglades Special Edition SUV

The Ford Bronco 4×4 SUV ran through five generations for 30 years from 1966. When it was reintroduced in 2021, it was almost as if the decline which saw the SUV come to a shuddering halt in 1996 hadn’t happened; refreshed, a new generation of the public embraced the idea. Now we have the pleasingly named Ford Bronco Everglades special edition – and if you’ve already got an order in for a Bronco, Ford will allow you to switch your order to this slightly more off-road leaning Everglades if you so desire…

The 2021MY Bronco harks back to the early days of the Ford utility vehicle – it seems that the boxy 4×4 is one of those curious anomalies in the world that will never go out of fashion or look tired and dated. In fact, the 1976 version of the Bronco was scanned digitally to provide a reference point for the new sixth generation SUV. The sixth gen Bronco has a nice quirk about it too, in that the doors can be completely removed giving a completely open beach buggy-like feel to the drive. Engine-wise, the revamped Bronco offers 2 or 4 door configurations and the option of either a 2.3 or 2.7-litre engine, or a 3-litre if you prefer more power.

So what off-road features might make you switch your order sitch to the Bronco Everglades then? Well, the Everglades comes with a front mounted winch (which offers the ability to pull up to 4 and a half tonnes) and an air-intake snorkel – courtesy of Ford Performance by WARN – for the wetter off-roading and maybe pulling yourself out of any sticky situations. The clue is in the name after all; the Everglades being a subtropical wetlands area designated as a national park in Florida, USA.

The Bronco Everglades also comes with new 17-inch alloys fitted with Goodyear mud-specific tyres, all wrapped in wider wheel arches to allow clearance for the wider wheels. Viewed from the front, the limited-edition Bronco also gets a unique radiator grille in dark grey (which offsets the Desert Sand colourway you see here nicely) and a new Safari bar. Underneath, an underbody made of steel gives added protection and rock rails prevent uneven ground and rocks from damaging the 4×4’s sills.

The taller than normal A-pillar mounted snorkel has a smart feature up its sleeve; it has a couple of interchangeable plates to allow the path of air intake to be switched depending on the conditions, blocking off water and dust ingress where necessary. This gives the option to choose to open the intake’s rear only so that air going into the engine is not contaminated when driving directly into heavy rainfall. With the front/rear axles and gearbox all having higher vents, the upshot of all these tweaks and additions is that it allows the Everglades to comfortably wade in water that’s almost 3ft deep.

Power will come from the Bronco 2.3-litre engine with a 10-speed gearbox, giving the Bronco 441Nm torque and 296bhp. Pricing starts at $54,495 (just over £40,000), but before you check your finances, it’s worth pointing out that the Ford Bronco Everglades special edition will only be available in the USA presently. Time will tell if Ford eventually want to widen the reinvigorated Bronco’s regions of sale.

Images: ford.com