New special edition Ford Bronco Everglades designed for off-road fun

Ford has launched another special edition version of the Bronco that will soon follow the 400bhp Bronco Raptor into the showrooms. This one’s called the Ford Bronco Everglades, and it was designed specifically for those that want to go green laning.

Like the standard model, the Bronco Everglades is only available officially in the United States for the time being, as an exclusive add-on for those that already have a reservation placed. Prices start from $54,495, which is the equivalent of around £40,000 in the UK.

However, the importer Clive Sutton recently announced that it had started shipping the 4x4 across the Atlantic – so there still might be a work around for UK buyers keen to get their hands on one, providing they’re willing to put up with the steering wheel being on the wrong side.

Upgrades over the standard Ford Bronco include new 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in knobbly Goodyear mud-terrain tyres, steel underbody protection panels and rock rails that were designed to prevent the lower sills from becoming damaged while driving off-road. The dark grey radiator grille is unique to the Everglades edition, too.

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Buyers also get wider wheel arches than the standard Bronco to cover the broader wheels and tyres, and there’s a removable hardtop with a built-in roof rack thrown in as part of the deal. The biggest change over the standard 4x4 is up front, though, with Ford fitting a new Safari bar and a winch to the bumper that’s rated to pull 10,000lb (or 4.5-tonnes).

Ford’s engineers also designed a new type of snorkel air intake, which is mounted to the Bronco’s A-pillar. It features two interchangeable plates that change the path of the intake to help block out dust and water depending on the weather conditions. So, the air passing into the engine can be made to travel through the rear of the intake, which is useful when travelling head-on into a heavy downpour, for example.

To complement the taller air intake, Ford has raised the height of the vent tubes on the front and rear axles, transfer case and transmission for the Everglades edition. Combined, these changes mean the Bronco can now wade through water that’s almost a metre deep.

Like the standard model, the Bronco Everglades is powered by a turbocharged 2.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine, which produces 296bhp and 441Nm of torque. The unit is mated to a 10-speed automatic gearbox which sends power to all four wheels.

Now click here to read our review of the new Ford Bronco…