Free Wheeling with the Bronco Sport

CHATHAM, Mass. – Ford continues to build on its Bronco heritage with the addition of a special edition Free Wheeling package for the 2024 Bronco Sport, dressing up the off-road-capable compact sport utility (SUV) with a throwback series of red, orange and yellow color-gradient stripes gradients on its sides and hood.

Unique wheels and accents throughout the interior reflecting the Free Wheeling’s rainbow-like palette, as well as standard equipment equal to that of the Bronco Sport Big Bend trim, make for a unique, sub-$40,000 five-passenger vehicle at home on both pavement and rougher surfaces.

Peppy and frugal are traits of the 3-cylinder powertrain

The on-paper specifications for the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling do not overwhelm, but the on-road driving returns positive results, both in performance and efficiency. An inline three-cylinder, aluminum-block-and-head, dual overhead camshaft engine produces 191 horsepower and 190 pounds-feet of torque.

The power travels through an automatic eight-speed transmission into the standard full-time four-wheel-drive system with an air-cooled PTU (power-transfer unit), 4×4 disconnect and single clutch RDU (rear-drive unit).

In addition, the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling features driver-selectable G.O.A.T [drive] Modes™ (Goes Over Any Terrain) with five settings: Normal, ECO, Sport, Slippery and Sand.

And how do these factors translate into numbers which might matter to a potential buyer? Car and Driver testing returned a 0-60 miles-per-hour time of 8.2 seconds. The automotive-enthusiast publication said it was not a particularly quick result, but in real-world driving, I felt the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling was peppy, quick and more than up to any driving challenges I faced during a very busy, traffic-challenging week on Cape Cod.

The Bronco Sport is not intended as a performance vehicle, but one which can provide mundane, daily transportation needs, then take its occupants to fun places when the daily grind has ended. As a compact SUV measuring 172.7 inches long, 74.3 inches wide and 70.2 inches tall, the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling easily fits into all the places that daily activity takes its driver and passengers.

One of the key factors in its success as a multi-purpose vehicle is its fuel efficiency. My week of driving came at 31.7 miles per gallon, well above the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rating of 26 (25 urban, 29 highway). And I achieved this result despite primarily driving with the engine stop/start switched off (I just do not like the hesitation these systems generally produce when I am trying merge into traffic from a standing stop.)

A sophisticated platform

Ford builds four different types of vehicles from this platform. In addition to the Bronco Sport iterations, it underpins the Ford Escape compact SUV, the Lincoln Corsair compact luxury SUV and the Maverick compact pickup truck. Engineering a platform to provide such a broad spectrum of uses has meant a chassis more sophisticated than might have been designed simply for an off-roader.

The suspension is independent all around. Up front, MacPherson-type struts with coil springs, stabilizer bar, twin-tube hydraulic gas-pressurized shock absorbers, steel subframe with aluminum lower control arms and cast knuckle are featured.

The rear includes Independent double lateral link semi-trailing arms with coil springs, stabilizer bar, monotube hydraulic gas-pressurized shocks, and isolated steel subframe with cast knuckle.

The anti-lock (ABS) equipped, power-assisted brake system features 12.12×1-inch vented rotors up front, 11.88x.43-inch solid ones in the rear. Single-piston calipers front and rear are part of the system.

Another Bronco Sport Free Wheeling feature is the 17-inch high-gloss black wheels with red accents. These are shod with 225/65 R17 all-season black-sidewall tires.

The pieces add up to a vehicle which is comfortable over virtually all road surfaces. The Bronco Sport Free Wheeling handles well when driving on the roads here in New England. I felt secure and under control, without any drama or concern. I cannot attest to its off-road capabilities as the closest I came to such was a few miles of gravel, dirt and grass, nothing challenging.

Advanced driver-assistance systems boosted by optional package

Standard on the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling is the Ford Co-Pilot360™ group of advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) including auto high beams; BLIS® (blind spot information system); lane-keeping system (includes lane-keeping assist and lane-keeping alert/driver alert); pre-collision assist with automatic-emergency braking (AEB), pedestrian detection, forward-collision warning and dynamic brake support, and rearview camera.

The test vehicle added the optional ($895) Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ which brings intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go; lane centering; speed-sign recognition; evasive steering assist, and voice-activated navigation system.

Preproduction Bronco Sport Free Wheeling with optional equipment shown

Interior technology features

The Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling’s interior is a colorful place to go adventuring thanks to the striping on the seats and red accents throughout. A pair of digital screens house the information cluster while the eight-inch touchscreen at the center of the dash includes controls for the HVAC, infotainment and vehicle systems.

The HVAC is an automatic one with operating buttons below the touch screen for those who prefer analog control to navigating a menu-driven touch screen.

Ford’s SYNC®3 infotainment system includes AM/FM/SiriusXM satellite radio; Bluetooth smartphone connectivity; Apple CarPlay; Android Auto; voice activation, and six speakers.

The front seats, thanks to the optional ($1,785) convenience package, has heat and the driver’s power adjustment. In addition, this optional package adds rear-parking sensors; wireless mobile-device charge pad; universal garage-door opener and fog lamps.

Competitive, solid soft and off-roader

The 2024 Ford Bronco Sport family spans five trim levels ranging from the $29,795 Big Bend to the off-road enhanced Badlands for $38,390. This allows one to tailor just the right combination of on and off-road capabilities to their needs, desires and pocketbooks.

The test unit Bronco Sport Fee Wheeling had a base price of $33,790. With the options mentioned plus a few smaller ones, less certain discounts, and adding the $1,595 destination & delivery charge, brought the as-tested price to $37,695 – a very competitive price in the subcompact SUV segment.