There has been a lot of buzz around the new Ford Bronco. The 2021 Bronco Sport, dubbed the Baby Bronco, is supposed to be the capable little brother of the Bronco. While on some test runs, the Sport had a few overheating issues. Was this just a misstep for the new baby?

The Ford Bronco Sport

According to Ford, the Bronco Sport is just as capable to handle off-road adventures as the regular Bronco.

“With unmistakable Bronco styling and unrelenting Bronco capability, the smaller sibling of Bronco two-door and first-ever four-door SUVs joins the family with its own idea of fun. As with all Broncos, 4×4 is standard, and this rugged SUV is engineered to handle whatever weekend adventure its owner has in mind.”

Ford

The company noted that the Sport was tested in extreme conditions and was ready to handle driver’s needs. However, some drivers that did test out the sport didn’t have such an adventure.

Jalopnik writer David Tracy noted that an Outer Banks model overheated trying to get up a hill. A notice popped up that said “Four-Wheel Drive Temporarily Disabled.” According to the manual, that meant the four-wheel-drive system disabled itself before overheating.

Emme Hall with CNET said that the Sport overheated and went into limp mode after 15 minutes of messing around in the sand. After about 15 minutes, it cooled off and the fun resumed.

What are the common causes of overheating?

Truly, cars and trucks can overheat for any reason. Hot weather, strenuous activity, radiator issues, and even a broken water pump can cause overheating. For this SUV, it could be anything.

Tracy reached out to Ford’s engineering manager, Eddie Khan, about the issue. Khan noted that Ford made the Bronco Sport competitive with other vehicles in the same class. He also said that the company put the Sport through extreme conditions and testing, where it performed fine.

Khan argued the hill where the SUV overheated was large, while Tracy disagreed. Based on the subjectivity of a large hill, the conversation didn’t go much further.

He did note that the various modes offered, such as “Go Over Any Type of Terrain” (GOAT) mode, could have impacted the drive. But if there is an issue with the SUV going off-road, this certainly won’t be the last we hear of it.

To be fair, lots of vehicles overheat. It isn’t that big of a deal, unless it becomes a common occurrence.

What is the difference between Bronco and Bronco sport?

First things first, the priced. The base Bronco is $28,500, while the First Edition was highest at $57,410. The Base Bronco Sport was $26,660 and the First Edition came in at $38,160.

The Bronco had seven trims available and both a four-door and two-door option. The prices above are for the two-door and would be more expensive with four. The Sport has five trim options and it is only available in four-door.

The Bronco comes with a 270-horsepower 2.3L four-cylinder, or a 2.7L twin0turbo V6 with 310 hp. With the 2.3L, Ford offers a 7-speed manual or a 10-speed transmission. The 2.7L only offers the 10-speed.

There is a trim for everyone! Either way, we hope to see more of the baby Bronco on, and off, the roads.