Bruce Springsteen has a famous song called “Badlands” and you could argue New Jersey’s Pine Barrens fit that description, even if its not the subject of the song. The a vast, eerie expanse that is, according to local legend, home to the Jersey Devil. It seemed like the ideal place to put Ford’s most extreme Bronco Sport through its paces.
The Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch has the most off-road capability of any trim in the lineup. The Sasquatch package takes its name from the similar option available on the larger Bronco and transforms the subcompact crossover into a legitimate trail machine. The Badlands starts at $42,260, and the Sasquatch package adds $2,495, bringing the all-in price to $44,755.
While the Bronco Sport Outer Banks can be optioned with the Sasquatch package, it makes do with a 181-horsepower 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder. The Badlands gets a more potent 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. An eight-speed automatic transmission and standard all-wheel drive send the power to its 29-inch all-terrain tires.
The Badlands also gets a unique twin-clutch rear drive unit that can perform torque vectoring and function as an electronic locking rear differential to maximize traction when needed.
The Sasquatch package delivers a meaningful suite of hardware upgrades. You get 17-inch wheels; metal skid plates; and metal bumpers with recovery hooks and provisions for accessories like a brush bar. Most important is the HOSS 3.0 suspension, or High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension. Ford uses Bilstein position-sensitive dampers that adjust their stiffness with wheel travel and setup increases wheel travel to 8.3 inches up front and 8.7 inches in the rear of the fully independent system. Ground clearance is also 8.7 inches, which is not massive by truck standards, but the suspension’s body control means the Bronco Sport uses every bit of it effectively.
I put the Badlands Saasquatch through its paces in a spot where I bring plenty of serious off-road vehicles, including the full-size Bronco. In a mix of snow, mud, and every kind of terrain, it genuinely impressed.
Read also: THIS $850,000 FORD F-150 LUXURY PRERUNNER DESERVES A TROPHY
Ford’s G.O.A.T. modes cover settings for slippery surfaces, off-road, rally, and rocks. In rally mode on snow-dusted trails, the Bronco Sport delivered a level of confidence I didn’t expect from a subcompact. The dampers soak up bumps at speed but firm up to prevent bottoming out, giving the vehicle composed, confident body control.
Two things genuinely surprised me. First, the tires never seemed to slip, even on steep climbs. The all-wheel-drive feels like a locked 4×4 system. Second, the belly of the little beast never scraped the ground. I’ve driven vehicles with considerably more than 8.7 inches of clearance on the same trails that couldn’t get through without some bruises. I’m sure the body control provided by the dampers had a lot to do with that. Nevertheless, while the Badlands Sasquatch is genuinely capable, it’s not designed to be as hardcore as Bronco Sasquatch, and I wouldn’t try to push it on the most extreme terrain.
Other useful trail features include a front-facing camera that activates in off-road modes; a full 360-degree camera system; a one-pedal drive ,ode that applies the brakes when you lift off the throttle at low speeds; and the Trail Control crawl-speed cruise control.
The Bronco Sport lineup received an update for 2025 that added dual digital displays and a refreshed infotainment system with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wi-Fi capability, and YouTube streaming when parked. The Badlands version gets a distinctive technical fabric upholstery that suits the vehicle’s character well and the front seats and steering wheel are heated.
Read Also: BRONCO-BASED LINCOLN ‘PEGASUS’ ON THE WAY?
Rear seat space is a little snug, as expected in a subcompact SUV, but there are handy phone holding sleeves on the front seatbacks along with large zippered storage compartments. The cargo area is a more impressive 29 cubic feet, and the floor hides an actual spare tire, not a fix-a-flat kit. The tailgate glass can also be opened independently from the tailgate itself.
The Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch can tow up to 2,700 pounds and the roof rack handles 150 pounds while moving and 600 pounds when parked, the latter meant for a tent. There are also clever pop-out tie-down points in the fenders, each rated for 150 pounds. Fuel economy is rated at 23 mpg combined and 27 mpg on the highway, and the all-terrain tires are quieter on pavement than you might expect given their aggressive tread.
If your primary goal is maximum off-road capability, a base two-door Bronco with the Sasquatch package starts around $50,000 and is the more hardcore machine. But if you want genuine off-road ability wrapped in a more practical, efficient, and maneuverable package, the Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch makes a compelling case for itself. Unlike the cryptid, the Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch is the real deal.
SUBSCRIBE AND LISTEN TO THE GAS: AN AMERICAN CARS AND RACING PODCAST ON YOUR FAVORITE PLATFORM
