Some might call it tacky, but what about the late 1970s and ‘80s wasn’t? Ford might call it quaint, as its Bronco Sport Free Wheeling special edition is pasted from the windows most of the way down the doors with bright graphics that fade from deep red to yellow, similar to the 40th Anniversary Toyota 4Runner that has tricolor retro stripes that kick up at the C-pillar like a hair-band guitarist mid-shred. Stripes are also laid across the hood, and red pockets pop in the black-painted wheels in case the color scheme wasn’t loud enough.
Ford resurrected the Free Wheeling name from a package offered on its trucks (and vans, naturally) in the late ‘70s. As with those vehicles, the color scheme is echoed inside the 2024 Bronco Sport Free Wheeling, with five-color seat inserts, multicolor stitching, and red accents on the dash and doors.
Performance
The 2024 Bronco Sport is powered by a 181-horsepower, turbocharged EcoBoost 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine that routes its power through an eight-speed automatic transmission; a 250-hp, turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder is standard on the Badlands variant. All Bronco Sports have all-wheel drive with at least five different terrain settings, which Ford calls G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) modes.
Trim Levels
Standard equipment on the Big Bend includes gray 17-inch wheels, a gray grille with white lettering and a body-color roof. It (and the Free Wheeling) comes with keyless entry and start, cloth upholstery, manually adjustable front seats, a manual tilt/telescoping steering column, automatic climate control and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with satellite radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and six speakers. Forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane departure steering assist, and blind spot monitors with rear cross-traffic alert are also standard.
New for 2024, a Black Appearance Package is available exclusively on the Big Bend. It adds a black roof, exterior badging and grille, the latter with two-tone Bronco lettering. Matte-black wheels and hood graphics complete the outside, while inside, the package includes sport seats and a black steering-wheel badge.
Next up is the Heritage trim, which sports a white grille, roof and old-school “steelies”-esque aluminum wheels with all-terrain tires for a subtler retro look. Gray plaid seats and blue-gray trim distinguish the interior of the Heritage, which also comes equipped with a towing package.
The Outer Banks variant rides on black 18-inch wheels with all-season tires and has a black grille with white lettering and a black roof. It’s the luxury pinnacle of the Bronco Sport lineup and features a heated steering wheel and heated power-adjustable front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, remote start, ambient lighting, rain-sensing windshield wipers and rear parking sensors.
At the top of the Bronco Sport line sits the Badlands, which combines a black roof with gray 17-inch wheels wearing all-terrain rubber and a gray grille with white Bronco lettering. The Badlands boasts an upgraded AWD system with two bonus modes: Mud/Ruts and Rock/Crawl. Metal skid plates, front tow hooks and a 180-degree forward camera promise increased off-road capability, while rubberized flooring eases cleanup after particularly muddy adventures. Oddly, the Badlands drops some of the equipment that’s standard on lower-priced trims, including dual-zone climate control, ambient lighting and the heated steering wheel — some of which can be added back as an option.
*MSRP and Invoice prices displayed are for educational purposes only, do not reflect the actual selling price of a particular vehicle, and do not include applicable gas taxes or destination charges.
