The lowdown on the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon rival.
The new Ford Bronco has become a firm favorite of the off-roading community since its introduction in 2021. Even in entry-level form, it's already a handy off-roader, but the Sasquatch Package elevates it into the realm of the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon.
The Ford Bronco Sasquatch Package debuted as a concept car at SEMA in 2020. We didn't know it then, but the American manufacturer was likely gauging interest in a Bronco equipped with mud terrain tires, rock rails, tow hooks, a disconnecting sway bar, and heavy-duty bumpers. The response was good because the Sasquatch Package was revealed as an optional extra shortly after the Bronco debuted.
At first, it was limited to only specific models, but now it's available for the Badlands, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Black Diamond, and even the Base Bronco trims. It's standard fitment on the Bronco Wildtrak and 2023 Heritage limited-edition models. These Heritage models are hard to come by but certainly worth the investment.
To better understand the Ford Bronco Sasquatch Package, it's worth first looking at the standard Ford Bronco. That will give us a better understanding of what the Sasquatch Package offers above and beyond.
Ford Bronco
As mentioned, the Ford Bronco SUV is off-road-ready across all trim levels. It can handle most rough terrain with ease. Standard items include all-season tires, the Terrain Management System, hill descent control with the manual gearbox, and four-wheel drive with part-time selectable engagement. The Mid Package is standard on upper trims like the Wildtrak. It includes items like heated front seats, remote start (only with the automatic transmission), reverse sensing, and a more advanced operating system for the infotainment.
You can order the Bronco in two-door and four-door guise, with a 10-speed automatic or seven-speed manual transmission; the latter has quite a high uptake. Initially, the Sasquatch Package was only available with the automatic, but Ford eventually caved and made it available for the manual model. A manual transmission Bronco is a highly sought-after commodity, which is an excellent buying tip.
As standard, the Bronco has a 2.3-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost engine, but you can order it with a 2.7-liter V6 EcoBoost. Besides the part-time four-wheel-drive system with shift-on-the-fly, a more advanced four-wheel-drive system with automatic on-demand engagement is available.
All Bronco models have the “GOAT” (Goes Over Any Terrain) terrain management system. Lower trims have an open rear differential and an optional rear locking differential, the latter being standard on more expensive models.
From there, you must decide what to do with the car. The base is a blank canvas, while the Ford Bronco Badlands is for extreme off-roading.
The Black Diamond is for more adventurous types with its marine-grade vinyl upholstery, rubberized washable flooring, and full steel bash plates, while the Ford Bronco Wildtrak sits at the top, offering the best balance between off-road capability, speed, and luxury.
The Bronco Raptor sits in a class of one and is the only model more capable than a Bronco equipped with the Sasquatch Package. It's worth remembering that if you don't have the budget for a “Braptor,” a Badlands Sasquatch with the optional 2.7-liter turbocharged V6 will get you 70% there.
Just don't try and jump it.
Ford Bronco Sasquatch Package
The Sasquatch Package includes 17-inch beadlock capable wheels finished in high-gloss black, a high-clearance suspension, high-clearance fender flares, and 35-inch mud terrain tires. Oddly, you still have to pay extra for a more robust Ford Performance bumper.
The most significant upgrades are the 4.7 final drive ratio and front and rear electronic locking differentials. The lower final drive ratio makes the car more responsive while off-roading at speed down a gravel road, while the locking front and rear differentials will keep the vehicle moving forward even during the gnarliest axle twisters.
There are no performance upgrades unless you count the availability of the 2.7-liter EcoBoost engine, which is only standard on the Bronco Wildtrak, and coupled to the 4WD system. The 2.3-liter turbocharged four-pot produces 275 horsepower and 315 lb-ft on regular gas (300 hp/325 lb-ft on premium gas), and the turbocharged V6 engine provides 315 hp and a chunky 410 lb-ft of torque on regular gas (330 hp/415 lb-ft on premium gas).
There are no upgrades to the Ford Bronco Sasquatch interior, so you'd better like the standard seats in cloth/marine-grade vinyl/leather and vinyl, depending on the trim.
The Sasquatch Package's worth is tough to nail down, depending on the model trim. On top-spec models, it is slightly cheaper because some of the features are already standard. The Big Bend is a prime example. Unlike the pricier Outer Banks, the Big Bend's Sasquatch Package costs $7,340, whereas the same package is $4,950 on the Outer Banks which already has more equipment fitted by default.
Now that we know what the package consists of, we can look at the benefits of each.
The most notable differences from the outside are the 17-inch beadlock capable wheels shod in 35-inch tires. This is the largest factory tire size for the standard Bronco range. The Bronco Raptor rides on 37-inch all-terrain tires, while the standard Bronco's tire sizes are between 30 to 33 inches.
The base tires are excellent, but the 35s increase the ground clearance and grip on rougher surfaces. It is odd that Ford chose mud terrain tires instead of all-terrain tires. While muds offer the epic grip off-road enthusiasts look for, they are pretty useless on wet tarmac. Luckily, the terrain management system keeps the car in a straight line.
The clearance fender flares do precisely what they say. The 35-inch tires require more room to move around. If you opt for the Badlands and its disconnecting front stabilizer bar, those wheels also need more space for improved articulation. Also, a high-clearance fender looks cool. Just ask the Jeep guys.
The Sasquatch Package includes the previously mentioned suspension upgrade, but Ford's website doesn't say where it comes from. We happen to know that it's a set of position-sensitive Bilstein shocks. These absorbers are more rigid overall and provide comfortable low-speed ride comfort. Bilstein also says they can handle a jump, but we wouldn't try that too often.
The increased clearance is self-explanatory, but it is worth remembering that the two-door and four-door will have different breakover angles. The additional length in the wheelbase means the four-door will be more exposed when driving over rocks. We recommend an even more robust set of bash plates.
As mentioned earlier, the final drive ratio will make the car more responsive at higher speeds on gravel, but it will impact the on-road performance and fuel consumption.
The most significant benefit to us is the electronic locking differentials on both axles.
It doesn't matter how advanced your terrain management system is. Power will always follow the path of least resistance, and if you put a wheel in the air, that's where it will go. A locking differential ensures that power is being sent to both wheels, so the car can drag itself forward even if it has two wheels in the air.
The Ford Bronco Sasquatch price is hard to pin down, but you must ensure that you really need it. For basic off-roading, the base model is more than good enough. You don't need a bazooka to kill an ant.
There's no need to buy a Ford Bronco Badlands with a Sasquatch Package when you can save money and get a base model with an attractive starting price and more than enough standard features for comfort and off-roading.
Keyword: Bronco Sasquatch: Everything You Need To Know About Ford's Off-Road Package