First introduced for the 2021 model year, the Ford Bronco Sport serves as the more-livable alternative to the off-road-engineered Ford Bronco. More recently, the Blue Oval gave the 2025 Ford Bronco Sport a mid-cycle refresh, which debuts without a direct competitor from rival General Motors.
For the 2025 model year, the Dearborn-based automaker revised the baby Bronco both inside and out, as the exterior now features new front and rear bumpers, while the cabin is highlighted by a 13.2-inch infotainment system touchscreen with the SYNC 4 interface. Beyond that, the 2025 Ford Bronco Sport can also be equipped with the Sasquatch Package, an all-terrain-focused feature similar to the one offered on the “regular” Bronco.
The Sasquatch Package includes Bilstein rear shocks with position-sensitive damping and piggyback reservoirs, revised front and rear springs, increased ride height, a twin-clutch rear drive unit with a locking differential, a front brush guard and steel skid plates, specially designed 235/65R17 Goodyear Territory All Terrain tires, and a new Rally G.O.A.T. drive mode.
“Bronco Sport customers love the outdoors and go off-roading 3.5 times as often as the owners of competitive vehicles, and camping twice as often,” Ford Enthusiast Vehicles General Manager Matt Simpson noted. “They want to know they can overcome obstacles that come their way, which drove our designers and engineers to push Bronco Sport to a new level of capability and performance to let our customers do more and have more fun off-road.”
“We know that Bronco Sport customers spend more on accessories than any other customer in the segment,” Lead Designer Dan Kangas remarked. “With that in mind, we designed the 2025 Bronco Sport to encourage creative customer interaction with modularity and upfit points that make adding new accessories easier than ever.”
The Bronco Sport continues to be offered with a choice of two powertrains. The base turbocharged 1.5L inline-three produces an estimated 180 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque, while the turbocharged 2.0L inline-four generates an estimated 238 horsepower and 277 pound-feet. Both are managed by an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels.
The refreshed 2025 Ford Bronco Sport Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands trim levels are scheduled to arrive in dealerships in November, while Bronco Sport units with the Sasquatch package will launch in the first quarter of 2025. Pricing has yet to be announced.
Of course, General Motors has reiterated time and time again that it has no plans to offer a typical gasoline-powered rival to the Ford Bronco and Jeep Wrangler. Coming despite the relative popularity of these two off-road machines, The General appears to be quite content in letting Ford and Stellantis compete with each other in that space. However, back in 2022, GM President Mark Reuss didn’t rule out the possibility of developing an all-electric competitor, which would potentially slot below the GMC Hummer EV in terms of size.
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Comments
The next gen Trailblazer really needs to be reimagined to compete with this.
The word ‘completely’ needs to be inserted in front of the word ‘reimagined’ in the statement.
What does it mean when they say “no direct GM rival”? There’s got to be one GM SUV/CUV that is the same basic size as this. After all, GM has something like 23 different SUV/CUV’s. So is this being said because they consider this Ford as a rough and tough off-roader? Seriously? I have yet to see one single Bronco or Bronco Sport with any dirt and/or grass stuck to it. Out here in Los Angeles area, you see them all the time. Jacked up. Huge tires. Light bars. Skid plates and extra panels. You know, all the stuff needed to protect the wealthy from those pesky Beverly Hills curbs and LA potholes.
I’m glad it’s not me paying for the gas in these pigs.
I’m out here as well in LA and literally just last weekend there were over 40 broncos and other off-road vehicles on the trails out in the IE. I’ve never seen a Bronco Sport at anything remotely off the pavement, but I definitely see tons of broncos all the time being used for what they’re designed for. They might not ride around the city “dirty” but that doesn’t mean they’re pavement princesses. Go where off roading is done and you’ll see tons of them. I see tons of GM pickup trucks as well but the only SUV’s I see have been old or the Hummer EV SUV
Never seen a “Bronco Sport” anywhere but a parking lot (typical Jeep joke) but I have seen regular Bronco’s out in the wild.
A new Traverse with an off-road package would be a better off-road vehicle than the “Bronco Sport”. Or even an Acadia AT4.
Roger: I will not deny what you say. And yet I will gladly challenge you that for every one Jeep Wrangler or for every one Ford Bronco or Bronco Sport or Toyota 4Runner you see actually off-road, I can easily point out 10X that many that never see a gravel road or dirt.
They don’t have time for that. The drivers are too busy having them polished to be seen going into the trendy places to eat lunch.
Not sure why you brought up the Bronco. It has nothing to do with the Bronco Sport beyond its name and some styling.
This has as much off-roading capacity as the new Terrain AT4 and Equinox Activ.
You are clearly mistaken. GM makes nothing that competes off-road with Bronco Sport, especially Badlands, and this new Sasquatch is far, far above GM’s entries.
It DOES have a direct GM rival. It’s a slightly taller but slightly shorter Chevy Trailblazer. And its outrageous pricing keeps Trailblazer prices higher than they should be.
Maybe, for my first time, I’ll buy a Ford.
It’s $45,000+ for this…..for that you could buy a real Bronco or a very capable Jeep.
A 3-cylinder engine is an absolute no-go for me, but that 2.0L option is mighty tempting. Too bad it’s a Ford, so I’ll never buy one.
If anything, it really hammers home how having the 1.5L 4-cylinder as the ONLY powerplant in the Equinox and Terrain just… sucks.
IDK…I think there could be an argument that the new Equinox Activ and Terrain AT4 would both be very decent competitors. Similar 1.5L engines, albeit maybe a class up in size(?) and geared towards a more active lifestyle.