Sam Krahn 
The wait for the 2021 Ford Bronco is almost (hopefully) over. In about a month, the first customer vehicles will be delivered, and we can finally see the reborn off-road SUV in the wild. To get these soon-to-be owners exciting, Ford has been showing the SUV being put through its paces off-road via The Bronco Nation. These recent videos have given us our best look yet at the Bronco’s off-road capability before owners themselves get to take them beyond the pavement, and boy does it look impressive.
The first, and arguably most challenging off-road scenario is the Top of the World trail out in Moab. The Moab Easter Safari has been Jeep’s party for years, but the 2021 Ford Bronco crashed it this year, showing off many concepts, and letting fans get an up-close look at the new SUV. While out there, Ford also let people try out the Bronco on this challenging trail, resulting in the following video by The Bronco Nation. The footage features no talking, and instead shows you what the vehicle is capable of through action. Better yet, Vaughn Gittin Jr was at the wheel for part of it.
As with most of Moab, the Top of the World trail is a mix of hard rocks and sand, and is a true test of any off-roader. In the video, the 2021 Ford Bronco 4-Door climbs and descends lots of nasty rock crawling scenarios. What we were really interested in was how that independent front axle held up, and it looked like it had plenty of articulation. Yes, a Jeep Wrangler would certainly have more wheel travel and articulation which would be beneficial in many of these Moab obstacles, but the Ford Bronco never looked limited by its front end. Throughout the obstacles, it did a great job keeping all four wheels on the ground and the 4×4 system always sent power where needed. Furthermore, the approach, departure and breakover angles looked strong in the real world. Overall ground clearance was never an issue.
Next, we see the 2021 Ford Bronco on the other side of the US, in Tennessee for the SuperCell East event. This is a more traditional Bronco Nation video with some commentary, but we get to see the Bronco in a completely different terrain. It’s definitely easier than what we saw in Moab, but not everyone lives in Utah, and this is the kind of playground some people will call home.
Over faster dirt roads, the independent front suspension really comes into its own. It provides better comfort and handling control at speed. The driver, seasoned off-road racer Shelby Hall who won the Rebelle Rally in the Ford Bronco Sport, seems very impressed with all of the Bronco’s capability and tech. As customers patiently wait for their vehicles, it’s great to see the 2021 Ford Bronco is living up to its off-road promises.
