After months — nay, years — of waiting and suspense, Ford finally launched the new Bronco (and its smaller sibling, the Bronco Sport) last month in a cross-platform spectacle. The SUV is, at least on paper, everything we hoped for — a Jeep Wrangler rival extraordinare, with a bevy of powertrains, options and accessories to choose from.
How it holds up in the real world, though, is something we won't know for a while — because the new Bronco doesn't reach production until next year. So, how to keep the world excited about the Bronco in the interim? Well, for a start, roll out some sweet customized versions that show off some of the ways people will be able to make it their own.
Ostensibly, Ford rolled out the custom Broncos and Bronco Sports in honor of the nameplate's 55th anniversary, but we're guessing the carmaker would have done something similar no matter what birthday the Bronco was celebrating. Not that we're complaining, mind you; each of the five vehicles comes with accessories and custom options that have us drooling.
First up: the Bronco Four-Door Outer Banks Fishing Guide. Outer Banks is one of the trim levels of the new Bronco, but in this case, it's also being used more literally, as this concept has been whipped up to fit a Cape Hatteras fishing guide. Concept-spec roof rails and crossbars come with a Yakima LockNLoad Platform roof rack on top, while fender-mounted trail sights are equipped with a custom fishing pole holder and seat, and a slide-out tailgate offers a place to work. There's also a Bestop Sunrider soft top add-on that covers the front-row seats and connects to the hard top that covers the rest.
Next: the Bronco Two-Door Trail Rig, which is designed to tear up trails like there's no tomorrow. Using the Badlands trim level as a jumping-off point, Ford added a Ford Performance modular front bumper with Warn winch, tube doors, a 40-inch Rigid LED lightbar and a Yakima Platform roof rack, among other tweaks. That roof rack comes loaded with recovery gear like traction boards and a shovel. There's also a swing gate mounted table out back because, y'know, off-roading makes you hungry.
There's also a Bronco Sport Trail Rig, which is likewise aimed at people who want to hit the trail. It's also based on the Badlands trim, but scores a one-inch lift, 31-inch BFGoodrich Mud-Terrain T/A KM3 tires and LED off-road lights on a front nudge bar. On top lies a Yakima LockNLoad Platform roof rack with spots for a wide variety of off-road gear, such as recovery boards, jerry cans and a jack.
The Bronco Sport TOW RZR may be a tad awkwardly named, but you can't say it doesn't describe the product well. This baby Bronco is designed to tow a Polaris RZR side-by-side — specifically, a new RZR XP Turbo 1000 model that Polaris revealed along with the concept rig. (Of course, you can tow anything else that weighs up to 2,200 pounds instead, if you'd rather.) A Yakima OffGrid cargo basket adds cargo space beyond what's in back.
Finally, there's the custom compact crossover known as the Bronco Sport Off-Roadeo Adventure Patrol. It might sound like the sort of vehicle that first responder dogs would drive in a cartoon, but this SUV is actually designed for Ford's forthcoming Bronco Off-Roadeo customer experiences (the first of which will be opening outside Austin, Texas next summer). As such, it comes kitted out with a Yakima LockNLoad Cargo Platform roof rack equipped with items like a jack and a Rigid off-road LED lightbar. There's a Yakima bike rack inside, while
None of these concepts are likely to head to production, of course, but that's not the point; they're ways of showing just how versatile and customizable the new Broncos are. And considering most of the changes to them are available from the aftermarket, you could probably replicate any of these fairly well if you so wanted.
