Lucas Bell 
Before the situation with the coronavirus pandemic developed, last month was supposed to be a big one for the Ford Motor Company. After what has felt like an eternity at this point, the world was finally supposed to learn all there is to know about the upcoming 2021 Ford Bronco off-road SUV and the smaller 2021 Ford Bronco Sport. With the launch events for both SUVs being cancelled at this point, we have all gone back to scouring leaks pertaining to what little information we don’t have at this point. Thanks to the BroncoSportTalk, we now know about the smaller off-roaders’ engine lineup and trim levels.
Thanks to a NHTSA filing made by Ford pertaining to the vehicle’s VIN number codes, the powertrain speculations made over the past few months appear to be true. Like the Escape on which it is based, the Bronco Sport will pack either a 1.5L 3-cylinder engine or a 2.0L 4-cylinder engine. While the horsepower ratings are stated as TBD at this time, it isn’t much of a stretch to assume the Bronco Sport’s three-pot will arrive with 180 horsepower and 177 lb-ft of torque, while the big 4-cylinder should produce 250 hp and 275 lb-ft of torque. All-wheel drive is standard across the entire lineup, per the NHTSA filling.
The filing also confirms the Blue Oval’s plan to ditch their traditional nomenclature for trim levels with the new Bronco models. As has been rumored in the past, the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport will carry trim packages named after national parks here in the United States, a nod to the vehicle’s lifestyle image. The trim levels are as follows: Base, Big Bend, Outerbanks, Badlands, and First Edition.
While not groundbreaking by any means, this new batch of leaks does continue to show a theme surrounding these upcoming models. Ford is trying to establish the Bronco lineup as its own lifestyle brand, perhaps borrowing some tricks from the off-roader’s most obvious competitor, Jeep. For now we are just going to have to wait until the situation around the globe cools off before we can properly be introduced to this baby-sized Bronco.
