2021 Ford ‘Baby’ Bronco: Everything We Know About The Off-Road Compact SUV

With the launch of Ford’s all-new Escape done and gone, pundits have been eagerly awaiting the reveal of its more off-road-oriented sibling, which may be called Bronco Scout, Bronco Sport or Bronco Adventurer, according to the latest rumors.

Not to be confused with the larger Wrangler-fighting Bronco, the ‘baby’ Bronco will appeal to those who find the Escape a tad too effeminate with its jellybean appearance, but still appreciate on-road dynamics.

Luckily, a myriad of leaks including dealer presentations, has given us a good idea of what it will look like. So lets illustratively explore what we can expect from the Blue Oval’s latest SUV offering.

Boxy And Rugged Looks

Ford’s twin-pronged strategy with styling on the Escape and baby Bronco is a clever one. For starters, it’ll piggyback off the larger Bronco’s rugged design, which means we can expect a boxy body, upright nose, and staunch proportions.

Photo Renderings Copyright Carscoops / Josh Byrnes

At the front, circular headlamps are intersected by horizontal DRLs that frame the block-lettered Ford branding, while a chiselled lower bumper links with the plastic wheel arch mouldings and lower door cladding for off-road protection. Here, we should note that while an allegedly leaked picture of a mold of the front section suggested it could have elongated oval headlights, we haven’t been able to corroborate it.

The daylight opening area (DLO) is upright and airy with blacked-out A-pillars for a Land Rover Discovery vibe. Even the fender vents and rear roof profile could have come from the British 4×4 manufacturer’s playbook. Rear styling features a tailgate-mounted spare wheel, LED taillights and oblique sculpting with the Ford oval positioned offset to one side rather than on center.

We caught this scoop of the ‘baby’ Bronco’s interior from a prototype testing in the States

Under The Skin

Unlike the Escape which uses the same dashboard as the European-market Focus hatch, the Bronco Jr will have a bespoke & roomier cabin with chunky styling themes and robust switchgear. Expect a lot of tech uplifted from the Escape too; this includes a heads-up display, Ford’s Co-Pilot360 suite of driver assists, FordPass Connect smartphone app connectivity, and WAZE & Alexa integration.

Platform-wise, it sits on the same C2 underpinnings of the Escape, Focus and Lincoln Corsair. This modular platform is Ford’s equivalent of Volkswagen’s MQB architecture, which increases the scope for more model derivatives, yet with reduced costs in engineering and parts.

What Engines Will It Offer?

We anticipate the powertrain lineup to largely mirror the Escape. These should include a 1.5-litre turbo three-cylinder with 180 hp, 2.0-litre turbocharged four with 250 hp, 2.5-litre four-cylinder hybrid offering 198 hp, and a 209-hp (156-kW) plug-in hybrid.

Allegedly official renders of the baby Ford Bronco Jr were leaked on the web last year

Power will be channeled via an eight-speed automatic gearbox to the front wheels, or through an optional all-wheel-drive setup, which incorporates a fuel-saving rear-driveline disconnect system.

Selectable drive modes utilize stability control and traction control systems to aid with traction over various terrain and weather conditions.

Rivals & Reveal Date

Aside from its Escape sibling, the Bronco Jr will battle it out (or at least be cross-shopped) against some highly formidable and accomplished rivals. These include Toyota’s best-selling RAV4, Jeep Cherokee, GMC Terrain/Chevrolet Equinox, Nissan Rogue/X-Trail, Subaru Forester, Honda CR-V, and Mazda CX-5.

The new Ford Escape will loan its platform architecture and powertrains, but not its looks to the baby Bronco

While naming for the baby Bronco is still up for conjecture, we do know that it’ll be built at Ford’s Hermosillo factory in Mexico, with a world debut tipped as early as this year as a 2021MY.

Finally, what are your thoughts on the Escape’s boxier twin? Share your views in the comments below.