Weekend Drive by Hormazd Sorabjee: Ford’s massive attack
The Everglades variant of the Ford Bronco SUV packs some serious 4x4 hardware. It’s a hardcore off-roader
In America, XL isn’t just a size, it’s a way of life. This is a country that dreams big, earns big and consumes big. It’s a land of sprawling malls, mansions, giant portions of food and huge SUVS and pick-up trucks.
In this context, the humongous Ford Bronco I was driving didn’t seem out place. Or did it? The hard core Everglade variant of the Bronco isn’t just an SUV, it’s a statement.
With its bold grille, rugged stance, giant mud-terrain tyres and a snorkel that makes sure air and not water is ingested by the engine when wading rivers, the Bronco Everglade looks like it’s ready to conquer the wilderness straight out of the showroom.
But the real show stopper is the winch with a 30-metre tow line (to pull yourself or others out if stuck in the mud) that juts out a good 20cm from the front bumper. It looks awesome and being a factory fit, its crash tested too. I shudder to think what would happen to a car that collided with it. I had to be particularly careful whilst parking. A front camera would have been useful.
But why am driving a Bronco? There is a sliver of a chance that Ford might one day bring it to India but the real reason is that I’m on a road trip in California and wanted to do it in a true-blue (this one is a dark green) American SUV. The Bronco is not the ideal car for highway driving, but it offers a dress circle view of California’s breathtaking beauty.
For a hard-core off-roader, it has surprisingly good manners and cruised merrily on Californian highways. The chunky off-road tyres didn’t cause any directional stability issues. What impressed me most is the 2.3 litre turbo-petrol, which I thought would be too small in such a large SUV. But with 300hp, it has enough grunt. It’s only when I get into the Sierra Nevada, approaching Yosemite, that the Bronco feels a bit of a handful on narrow twisty roads. I was happy to hold a slower pace just soaking the park’s stunning beauty. With giant sequoias, breathtaking waterfalls and granite mountains as backdrops, there’s a fantastic photo op around every bend.
With all that heavy duty 4x4 hardware, it would be rude not too take the Bronco Everglade off-road, but the best I could do was find a smooth dirt trail, where the Bronco barely dipped its toes. What a shame to have all that heavy duty 4x4 hardware and not be able to use it. The fact is that most owners won’t test the 4x4 capability either. The Bronco is a breath of fresh air in a world full of cookie-cutter SUVs. It’s different, it’s endearing, has a hint of nostalgia and makes you feel invincible. Now, to convince Ford to bring it to India!
