Bronco

Make
Ford
Segment
SUV

Back in 2020, a trademark filing suggested that a new off-road model called the Everglades was on the way from Ford. Since then, the existence of the Ford Bronco Everglades has been officially confirmed and we got a good look at the new model thanks to a teaser supplied by Ford at the end of last year. Another teaser followed recently, announcing the reveal date. Now it's here, and it looks absolutely badass. But what is it exactly, and why should you care?

Well, as you can see, there's a snorkel and a winch, arriving as standard with all the toys from the Sasquatch package, so it's definitely more than just an appearance package.

"Bronco customers like to explore new places, but some want to go even further off the trail than others," said Jolanta Coffey, Bronco chief engineer. "Everglades is specially equipped to enable these customers to tackle even more challenging terrains and trails - and with the front bumper-mounted winch, they can help others out of trouble while they're at it."

We start with the class-exclusive snorkel. Designed and engineered by Ford, clear thought has gone into this piece which includes a pair of easy-to-swap plates on either side. This allows you to change the direction of the inlet based on trail and weather conditions. Both axles, the transfer case, and the transmission also come with raised vents to improve water fording ability, to the tune of 36.4 inches.

The heavy-duty modular front bumper is another Ford Performance piece and comes with a Warn Zeon 10-S winch that can pull up to 10,000 pounds on its 100-foot line. Other standard features include a protective safari bar, rock rails, and the same steel bash plates that the Black Diamond and Badlands models get. Additionally, a Carbonized Gray grill with gloss black Bronco lettering helps set this model apart. That gray shade also appears on the 17-inch wheels with 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires, while a molded-in-color hardtop, rock rails to protect the sills, and a roof rack with crossbars complete the Sasquatch upgrades.

Another way to spot the Everglades is the squared wheel arches with Sasquatch-width fender flares while unique graphics on the front fenders pay homage to the tropical wetlands that inspired the Everglades name. To ensure that buyers feel comfortable getting muddy with the model, the interior boasts marine-grade vinyl seats and rubberized washout flooring. Urban Green accents on the seat stitching, air vents, and grab handles help lift the ambiance of the cabin, while a 12-inch SYNC 4 infotainment system keeps the tunes going.

Under the hood, the 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine produces 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, all of which is controlled by a 10-speed automatic transmission with an advanced 4x4 system and a maximum crawl ratio of 67.8:1.

Five exterior colors are available: Eruption Green, Area 51 (a grayish shade of blue and the most popular Bronco hue thus far), Shadow Black, Cactus Gray, and an "exclusive low-volume" color called Desert Sand. Ford will open orders for the special edition in March, but there's a caveat: only existing Bronco reservation holders can place an order.

Prices start at $53,000 before a $1,495 destination charge. If you're worried about more insane markups ruining the accessibility of this model for the average American, there may be hope that such practices will be curtailed; Ford's CEO has warned dealers that their future allocations could be impacted if they continue to give Ford a bad name.