Ford Sharpens Bronco Sport’s Off-Road Credentials With New Diamond Package

The Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport might share a name but they present very different problems for Ford.

The “real” Bronco, the retro off-roader built to rival the Jeep Wrangler, is in such demand that Ford production can’t keep up, leaving buyers frustrated with endless delays. The more conventional Bronco Sport, on the other hand, is currently languishing in ninth place in the compact crossover segment where it’s comprehensively ass-whooped by competent but theoretically less interesting rivals, most notably the Toyota RAV4, and also has to battle its own Escape brother.

One of Ford’s solutions to boost sales is the Diamond Off-Road Package of equipment for the Bronco Sport that taps into the cool, rugged off-load image enjoyed by its non-Sport brother, while another is to open up the Bronco Off-Roadeo experience program to more owners.

The Black Diamond Package is available on Big Bend and Outer Banks models and includes a front metal skid plate, fuel tank protection, and canister shield, as well as a set of 225/65 R17 all-terrain tires wrapped around 17-inch Carbonized Gray alloy wheels.

Those wheels should help the Diamond-equipped SUVs stand out in the Walgreens parking lot in between all those off-road adventures, and just in case anyone misses them, you also get a matte black hood graphic with Bronco horse logo and lower body graphics with Bronco lettering on both front doors.

And if you really do want to do some adventuring – which we suspect is unlikely in the compact SUV segment given that the very on-road-focused RAV4 outsells the Ford by almost four to one, and the Honda CR-V finds twice as many homes – buying a Bronco Sport also grants you access to Bronco Off-Roadeo trails and instruction.

The Off-Roadeo program offers experiences in Texas, Nevada, Utah, and New Hampshire, but was previously only open to owners who’d bought certain models. Now anyone who buys any kind of Bronco Sport qualifies.