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An orange two door 2021 Ford Bronco follows a rutted trail.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Doesn’t Meet Driver Demands

Have you ever been so worked up that you’ve considered writing a letter or starting a petition? Well, the new Ford Bronco has caused a few drivers to feel this way. See what features the 2021 Ford Bronco lacks and why potential buyers are up in arms.  The 2021 Ford Bronco lacks manual transmission availability  …

Have you ever been so worked up that you’ve considered writing a letter or starting a petition? Well, the new Ford Bronco has caused a few drivers to feel this way. See what features the 2021 Ford Bronco lacks and why potential buyers are up in arms. 

The 2021 Ford Bronco lacks manual transmission availability 

There is a petition circulating for the 2021 Ford Bronco to make its 7-speed manual transmission available across the entire lineup. The Bronco petition was spotted on Change.org, and if you view it, you’ll see a message about how Kevin is counting on you. 

A black 2-door 2021 Ford Bronco with its doors and roof removed scrambles up a rocky incline on the Rubicon Trail
2021 Ford Bronco on the Rubicon Trail | Bronco6G via Twitter

We aren’t sure who Kevin is exactly, but we can agree with his new Ford Bronco cause because limiting the manual transmission limits the off-roading ability of the Ford Bronco across the board. 

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Currently, you can only get the Ford Bronco with the manual transmission with the smaller 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbo-4 engine. The transmission can’t be paired with the Sasquatch package, which has the most off-roading equipment. 

A orange two door 2021 Ford Bronco follows a rutted trail.
2021 Ford Bronco two-door | Ford

Note: While the manual transmission isn’t available on all Ford Bronco trims, it is available with the base model, Big Bend, Black Diamond, and Badlands trim. However, it’s not available with the Sasquatch, Outer Banks, or Wildtrack trims. 

The Ford Bronco Sasquatch package

The Ford Bronco Sasquatch package comes with 17” bead-lock compatible tires with 35” all-terrain tires, locking axles in the front and rear, larger fender flares, an electromechanical transfer case, a higher ground clearance, and heavy-duty Bilstein shocks. 

A yellow 2021 Bronco climbing some intense boulders
2021 Ford Bronco | Ford Media

But the package is incomplete. The 7-speed transmission provides the Ford Bronco’s best crawl ratio of 94.75:1, so it would be nice if the Sasquatch had that ratio.

Also, pairing the manual transmission with the Sasquatch package would combine it with the twin-turbo 2.7-liter V6 engine to provide 310 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. 

2-door and 4-door 2021 Broncos
2021 Ford Bronco | Ford

With the current base model engine, you only get 270 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque. But for now, drivers will have to settle for the 10-speed transmission with the Sasquatch package. Also, the petition is getting close to its 5,000 signature goal. 

Where is the Ford Bronco pickup truck? 

A larger four-door Bronco, compact SUV, and two-door Bronco haven’t filled every fan’s desires. People want a compact Ford Bronco truck with a removable top and off-roading power, that the Ford Maverick won’t exactly provide. 

A red Ford Bronco quad cab pickup with two rear axles.
Ford Bronco 6×6 pickup rendering | SRK Designs

Some rumors suggest that there will be a 2022 Ford Bronco truck that’s similar to the Jeep Gladiator, and other rumors suggest this new truck won’t arrive until 2025. This wouldn’t be surprising since Ford does enjoy going after the Jeep market share, but we wonder if it will be midsize or compact. 

Also, the new Ford Bronco currently doesn’t offer a diesel engine, which would be great in the SUV and truck models. Diesel engines are known for lasting longer, providing a better fuel economy, being better for towing, and enhancing off-roading abilities. 

However, these issues aren’t enough to stop people from going buck wild for the Bronco. The limited-edition Ford Bronco was slotted only to have 3,000 models, but Ford upped this number to 7,000 models due to popular demand. Plus, over 150k Ford Bronco reservations have been made, and there is currently an 18-month waiting list to get one now.

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