I don’t know what it is about some cars that makes them work on you even before you see them in real life. Ford Bronco was exactly that kind of car for me. A bit of infatuation, a bit of an icon, a bit of an unfulfilled fantasy about a beautiful, brave, but also big expedition vehicle. I sighed over Bronco photos like a teenager over posters of her favorite boyband. And that teenager and I have a lot in common in this context. Because we both loved our chosen one with a kind of love others couldn’t understand — having never seen him in real life.
So when Ford Poland invited me to a two-day off-road test in Spanish Aragon, I knew this would be more than a first date with Bronco. This meeting was meant to finally get rid of my doubts once and for all. Sink or swim!
Masia Pelarda — a place that teaches humility and rewards courage
Let’s start with the test location itself — one of the best-known training centers for 4×4 drivers and crews (but also motorcycle riders!) in Europe. Masia Pelarda, located 135 km northwest of Valencia, is an off-road training center that is not “just another off-road track.” Not in the sense of a prepared, paved route with red cones. It’s a multi-hectare training area situated in the least populated region of Spain, where the landscape is harsh yet beautiful, and the ground is clayey, sandy and full of loose stones. This is where professionals with a passion for the Dakar Rally and other multi-day off-road events train.
Aragon, truffles and dinosaurs
The Masia Pelarda instructors accompanied us throughout the two days of the event, from morning until late afternoon. On the first day, right after landing in Valencia and arriving at the venue, they handed us “our” cars and took us on a several-hour gravel route — during which it was impossible not to fall in love with Aragon.
This region is a true “Spanish Wild West.” No people, vast mountainous spaces, loose rocks, dry orange soil and that strange feeling of being on another planet. Aragon is said to be the best region for cultivating black truffles, and the dogs that search for them return here season after season as if to the best job in the world. One of the Masia Pelarda instructors actually owns six of those dogs and fascinated me with stories about truffle-hunting expeditions — but that’s a story for another time.
The area we were driving through in the Ford Broncos is also extremely important for paleontology, as numerous dinosaur traces were discovered here. A few years ago there was a lot of buzz about fossilized eggs with embryos from 68 million years ago.
Bronco doesn’t need to prove anything
Back to the Ford Bronco… My image of this car was quite romantic. It has always been a legend — for some a symbol of American freedom, for others an off-road icon. I wasn’t sure if I wouldn’t fall out of love the moment I got behind the wheel, deciding that we weren’t actually that compatible and that our approaches to off-road driving were different.
After the first day of testing — after that scenic drive — I was even more smitten. But it was only on the second day, during the off-road trials, that Bronco was supposed to show me whether it really is who it claims to be.
We started early in the morning. Already on the first climb I felt that this guy handles differently from most vehicles I know from off-road driving. In the first deep rut I realized how much suspension travel this thing has. And in the first gravel “drift” — with all systems still on — I felt how strongly Bronco keeps things safe and smooth when getting out of trouble.
Compared to all the off-roaders I’ve driven, Bronco was simply impressive from the very first meters. I don’t know how many times I said “I’m in shock” after overcoming obstacles I might not even have noticed, because Bronco would just do them for me. There is a confidence in it that doesn’t come from weight or power, but from its design — the suspension, the fluidity, the way the drivetrains work together. Bronco doesn’t pretend to be tough. It may look like a handsome boy, but trust me — he’s a really strong guy who knows his capabilities and acts like he doesn’t need to prove them. Because he doesn’t.
Do you keep control or let it run wild?
You see Bronco sliding sideways on gravel, throwing a massive cloud of dust behind it? For that, you have to allow it — by switching off the systems one by one. Otherwise it holds the line, stabilizes the slide and doesn’t let traction break.
But when you decide to take control, switch to Baja mode and turn absolutely everything off — including ESC — and go manual, Bronco will dance to your tune. Suddenly the gravel stops being smooth, the dust rises like a plume, and you feel you’re driving the car in a very “organic” way. You feel the rear wheels, the chassis working, the moments when they want to break loose and the moments when they find a new line. That’s when the fun begins, and that’s when you feel this guy is ready to dance with you. And what’s more — he likes it too! He doesn’t get tired, he plays along, goes all in. But instead of getting carried away and flying off with you in a spinning tango, he still keeps his feet firmly on the ground and watches over gravity.
Calm and control
Masia Pelarda, as a proper professional off-road track, has obstacles that love exposing a vehicle’s weaknesses. A side slope that doesn’t look too scary in photos felt, in real life, like I’d fall out of the left window if not for the seatbelt and holding onto the grab handle.
There were also cross-axle sections on narrow, slippery wooden beams, with one rear wheel lifted about a meter off the ground. Three wheels calmly and methodically did their job, as if the fourth one was just a spare.
This is where both differential locks came in handy — but Bronco also keeps its cool by itself in such situations. It doesn’t panic or jerk, and it also calms the driver. It shows it’s in control and steadily, slowly and patiently moves forward meter by meter. The rear diff lock was key here. It felt as if the car knew exactly what to do and just pulled itself through without drama.
Low-range climbs were another experience. With the transfer case engaged, Bronco doesn’t behave like a macho guy who’s out of power. It works evenly with what it has, and on descents it even brakes itself nicely. You don’t need to nervously hover over the brake pedal. The car goes down slowly and confidently, as if it knew the track by heart.
Here another invaluable Bronco feature comes into play — the camera that shows the space in front of the hood on the big display at low speeds. That way, no hole, obstacle or rut can surprise you during steep descents or climbs when visibility through the windshield is limited. And as if that weren’t enough, tire tracks are displayed as well, showing your path so you know exactly whether you’ll avoid an obstacle or hit it.
Power matters — but the interior does too
If you know me, you know I look for more than just off-road capability. My heart is easily won by a love of travel, especially overlanding. And when Bronco aced the track test, I started looking at it more closely. Could it be a proper 4×4 expedition companion?
Its beautiful interior seems built for years of shared adventures in mud and sand. Folding the rear seats creates a large cargo area. The roof rails practically beg for a rooftop tent. And the whole body construction says one thing: “I will carry all your stuff without complaining.”
There is chemistry
When we finished the second day of driving, I got out of the car and said goodbye to Bronco. But I caught myself doing something that usually means “it clicked” for me. I looked back. I watched it for a moment and thought I’d gladly meet it again the next day and do it all over. Bronco not only delivered what I expected — it proved I hadn’t even come close to discovering all of its abilities.
There were emotions, there was adrenaline — but there was also something more: a sense of safety, confidence and that strange calm that only appears when you’re driving a vehicle built for things most drivers will never experience.
It couldn’t be all perfect
As with any closer relationship, there’s always something you’d rather not discover. With Bronco, for me, it’s the fuel consumption. I don’t know what it’s like in mixed driving, but after all the off-road tests and a longer drive, my car showed 16 L/100 km.
The second thing is expedition accessories. In the US, the selection is so huge that owning a Bronco would solve my loved ones’ gift-idea problems for years. Unfortunately, in Europe the availability is still quite limited.
And finally — a concern rather than a fact, since I couldn’t test it — users complain about cabin noise at high speeds, due in part to the modular, removable roof. But after years in a Jeep Wrangler and Suzuki Jimny, would anything really surprise me? I drove up to 100 km/h and didn’t have to crank the radio all the way up, so maybe it’s not that bad. Besides — for the option of removing the roof or front doors, I’m willing to accept slightly louder travel.
What will become of us, Bronco?
I get the feeling Bronco can be a brave off-roader, an exciting adventure partner and a cozy home all at once. That’s why — even though I came here to test it off-road — I was already imagining potential routes, trips and places where we could spend weeks together.
The tight schedule didn’t let me focus on the interior and expedition potential, so I’m hoping for another chance to take a closer look. On a second date. I’d invite him to my favorite places — where we could really get to know each other.
The Badlands* version I tested in Aragon is the most off-road-oriented Bronco in the European lineup. It was designed to handle whatever terrain nature throws under your wheels. Under the hood is a powerful gasoline engine (a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 Bi-Turbo with about 335 hp and 563 Nm of torque paired with a 10-speed automatic transmission), supported by a permanent 4×4 system with electronic torque distribution and a Terrain Management System with seven G.O.A.T. modes. Badlands stands out with its HOSS 2.0 off-road suspension with Bilstein dampers and a disconnecting front stabilizer bar, providing ground clearance of up to around 261 mm — clearly more than in other versions. It also boasts impressive off-road angles (approach approx. 40.6°, departure approx. 33.3°, breakover approx. 23.6°) and a wading depth of up to about 800 mm, giving it real capability in difficult terrain. All of this is supported by underbody protection, differential locks and a package of assistance systems which, combined with the engine’s performance, handle sand, rocks and technical sections — including those I tested at Masia Pelarda.
More about the Ford Bronco can be found on the official Polish website for this model.
*Source: Ford Poland, press materials
Photos: Loverlander.com