Ford Bronco Everglades expands off-road portfolio

Ford Motor Co. is adding the 2022 Bronco Everglades to its growing off-road family for enthusiasts who want to slog through water, mud, snow or any other extreme weather conditions.

Canadian pricing hasn’t been announced, but ordering is set to begin in March.

The variant starts at US$54,495, including shipping, in the United States and will be available this summer to those who already have Bronco reservations but have not yet placed an order. It costs about US$5,000 more than the Wildtrak trim in the United States, but about US$15,000 less than the recently unveiled Raptor.

The Everglades, available only as a four-door model, differs from other Broncos in that it comes equipped from the factory with a snorkel and front-bumper-mounted winch. It also comes standard with the Sasquatch package that is optional on base models.

"Bronco customers like to explore new places, but some want to go even further off the trail than others," Jolanta Coffey, the Bronco's chief engineer, said in a statement. "Everglades is specially equipped to enable these customers to tackle even more challenging terrains and trails — and with the front-bumper-mounted winch, they can help others out of trouble while they're at it."

Designers also set the Everglades apart by adding squared front and rear wheel arches. The snorkel, which runs up the passenger-side A-pillar, features swappable plates that allow owners to change the direction of the air inlet depending on what they're doing.

The Everglades variant also features a safari bar, rock rails and steel bash plates and special graphics on the front quarter fenders. The interior includes green accents as well as standard marine-grade vinyl seats and rubberized flooring.

The vehicle is powered by a 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine that gets 300 hp and 325 pound-feet of torque, the same output as the standard engine on the base model with premium fuel.

The Everglades is among three new variants that will expand the Bronco family this year, in addition to the Raptor and the hyper-limited, Bronco DR.