The Ford Bronco Sport Just Got a Lot More Badass—Without Losing its Cool

There’s a little backstory here. Ford introduced the Bronco Sport, priced from a hair under $30K to just over $40K for the 2025 model, at the same time as the Bronco. It was a ‘baby Bronco,’ with all the fun iconography, a rough and ready SUV with AWD that was comfortable for daily driving, messy winter weather, hilly roads and light trail riding, but not nearly as capable as the Bronco. 

Or, was it? Off-roaders don’t just look for locking differentials and lifted suspensions. They look at the overall size of a vehicle, at the appropriateness of the wheels and tires, at undercarriage protection and accessories that help them get where they want to go. Knowing this, Ford’s engineers set out to show how the Ford Bronco Sport could be a great option for many types of off-roading, and in some cases, better than the larger Bronco. It can go through narrow passes and trails that are a tight squeeze for the Bronco. 

And so the challenge was on: Equip the Ford Bronco Sport for even more adventure.

Read: Steep Hills, Dusty Thrills: Driving the 2023 Ford Bronco Sport at the Off-Roadeo

For 2025, Ford’s approach to the Bronco Sport was to evolve it into its own off-roading category by adding capability and packages for even better performance, yet keeping it affordable. You can find all the details on what’s new in this story.

Of the 5 Bronco Sport models, 3 offer off-road packages: Big Bend and Outer Banks, both powered by 1.5L engines have an off-road package option; and the Badlands edition, which is the top of the line and powered by the larger 2.0L engine, can be ordered with the Sasquatch off-road package. 

Each of the off-road packages add steel bumpers, fender tie-downs for roof-top equipment, skid plates, recovery hooks, all terrain tires, all weather floor mats, AUX switches for adding accessories and additional power outlets. 

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Ford Bronco Sport models with off-road packages also come with a few other key features: Enhanced GOAT modes, which stands for ‘goes over all types of terrain,” a new enhanced surround view camera that stays on while the car is in off-road mode and trail control with one-pedal drive, which is essentially a low-speed cruise control; like cruise control you can speed up or slow down just by using the accelerator; when you take your foot off the pedal the car slows back to the set speed.  

The enhanced GOAT modes include off-road mode for any off-road driving and rally mode for trail riding at higher speeds. 

Read: The Jeep Wrangler 4xe — for Jeep Lovers and Converts Alike

Here’s what we drove, how they are equipped and what they cost: 

• A Big Bend entry level model with a 1.5L 3-cylinder 180 HP engine, AWD, all terrain tires, cloth seating and the Black Diamond off road package; this includes steel bumpers, brush guard, recovery hooks, fender tie-downs, underbody skid plates, extra interior power outlets, AUX switches for accessories and rubber floor mats. It’s priced at about $34,105 before adding accessories
• A Bandlands top of the line model with a 2.0L 4-cylinder 250 HP engine, leather seating, navigation and advanced AWD and outfitted with the Sasquatch package, which includes off-road suspension, steel bumpers, brush guard, higher ground clearance, recovery hooks, fender tie-downs, interior AUX switches and signature leather upholstery, Badlands Tech package with navigation and premium sound, all terrain tires, underbody skid plates and fog lights which is priced at about $46,390 before accessories 

During our test drive we tested out all types of roads: city driving, highways, county roads and of course, off roading. We drove two routes: one in the Big Bend and one in the Badlands. Both were challenging, though different, and both models handled the trails with skill.

In the Big Bend Black Diamond model we drove through the Anza Borrego Desert State Park, a sandy expanse of rocky bluffs and dusty trails that often turn into deep sand. In the Badlands model we climbed a rocky trail that took us up to one of the highest points in the park.

Our trek took us to an area of the park notable for a trail that winds through huge boulders and past caves that look like the backdrop for shootouts in old cowboy movies. To get to the main attraction we had to keep a good speed on the trail, driving more than a few miles into the park, past hiking trailheads and into a canyon. 

With the Ford Bronco Sport in off-road mode we were able to descend into the canyon on deep sand road. Looking at the road, and with memories of getting stuck in sand, it was a little nerve-wracking. But with good momentum and traction, I was the only one who was nervous; the Bronco Sport handled it just fine. The photo above shows what it looked like from the driver’s seat. 

In the canyon the trail wound between wide-set boulders, narrow passes and over rocky points. The tires, ground clearance and skid plates did their  jobs, making each challenge an easy test, though taking things slowly and watching our spotters was important to ensure we didn’t get stuck. You can see in the photo how much loft our rear wheels had crossing this particular challenge. 

I will admit, I was surprised at how well the Big Bend Black Diamond edition handled the trails and hills; the canyon trail and rocks were an unexpected surprise for a compact SUV with an engine on the smaller side. So would the larger engine deliver a markedly better experience?

We took the 2.0L Badlands to another area of the park. Here were were greeted by sandy dunes that we had to climb to get to the main attraction: A rocky peak with a million dollar view. 

The sandy roads were a blast; we zig-zagged through the dunes climbing up to our first challenge: A craggy climb to the top. We watched as our guides in Bronco Sports climbed and then disappeared over the top; we would need the forward facing camera and guidance, but luckily our guides hopped out and spotted us as we climbed the hill. 

Our off-road course ended with a quick turn on a desert autocross course. There, we were able to zip through a course laid out with orange cones, getting up to speed on a straightaway and kicking up dirt through quick turns. The Bronco Sport Badlands handled it with skill and precision and a little fun kicking up dirt along the way. It’s fun getting dirty, but even more doing it inside the car rather than outside.

Even after seeing the guides zip up the hill, the idea of doing this yourself is a little sweat-inducing, but the front facing camera was a huge help. I pointed the Bronco Sport’s front end toward the hill and followed my guide’s direction to place my wheels in the proper place on the rocks. And then I eased onto the accelerator and let the Bronco Sport do the work. 

Once up the hill—with some rocking back and forth as the tires found the uneven ground beneath—my guide pointed me to a very sharp right turn and up another hill, then another sharp turn. I hadn’t expected that. But on the camera I could see where the ground dropped away and where to place my wheels. Thankfully. Soon we were at the top  of the hill where it was especially windy, but the view was especially spectacular. 

We drove the Badlands out to the desert and the Big Bend back at the end of the day. While the Badlands, with its larger engine and features like navigation and leather seats, would probably be my choice if I were to buy a Bronco Sport, both were comfortable, quiet and easy to drive. The Bronco Sport’s comfortable size makes it agile and easy to drive, and even the smaller engine is responsive and delivers enough power to confidently merge onto the highway and maintain a comfortable speed. 

I greatly appreciated the wireless Apple CarPlay and easy access to USB ports and the “hey Ford” voice activated assistance for time on the highway and driving through the city. But that part wasn’t a surprise; I have always thought of the Bronco Sport as a fun little crossover with clever details and comfortable space. And now, I will also think of it as a capable off-roader that can take you down fun trails and up to million dollar views.