The ongoing battle between Ford and Jeep for off-roading superiority has been ratcheted up a notch, as Ford took new Bronco prototypes to Jeep's eponymous Rubicon trail to do some fun rock-crawling testing. In a series of videos from Bronco6G Forum's YouTube Channel, the Broncos can be seen conquering challenging terrain—albeit with a bit of difficulty—that helped give the Wrangler Rubicon its name. With Bronco deliveries likely another 18 months out, there's a good chance Ford could use this round of recent testing to continue to improve the Bronco's performance potential, so all that remains to be seen is how Jeep will respond to the clips.
Out In The Great Outdoors
Ford opted to test out the famous 22-mile trail with both two- and four-door Broncos, which were equipped with Badlands trim packages and spec. The trucks definitely did not emerge unscathed—perhaps largely because the host of spotters surrounding them at every obstacle looked more like onlookers than help.
Anxious Bronco fans and those who have placed pre-orders should keep a close eye on the footage, which features the notable inclusion of the Bronco's optional seven-speed manual gearbox, which is equipped with a crawler gear and currently available in tandem with the off-road-specific Sasquatch options package—even those the Broncos being filmed were not.
Listen To The People
Perhaps Ford will decide to make the seven-speed an option across the Bronco lineup and perhaps not, though the fact that these rigs were able to make quick work of the Rubicon trail when shod in only the 33-inch tires, rather than the Sasquatch package's 35-inch rubber, shows just how far Ford has come in trying to take Jeep's Wrangler down a notch. It's also an indication of just how far the Bronco could still evolve before customers actually get their hands on the newest toy in Ford's playhouse.
Source: Youtube