Ford’s New Bronco Everglades Is Built for Serious Off-Roaders

The latest Ford Bronco build will allow you to go even further off road.

The Detroit automaker unveiled a special version of its revived SUV called the Bronco Everglades on Thursday morning. The ultra-rugged variant, which will make its public debut at the Chicago Auto Show this weekend, is aimed at adventurous drivers who never want to be restricted by road conditions.

At its core, the Bronco Everglades is the four-door configuration of the SUV with the Sasquatch Package and a host of other factory-installed off-road upgrades. These include a class-exclusive snorkel that runs up the passenger-side A-pillar that allows for better performance in dust, snow and water. There’s also an integrated, 10,000-pound Zeon 10S winch from WARN on the off chance you, or someone you’re driving with, needs more traction. Other add-ons include a unique Carbonized Gray grille, protective safari bars, a hardtop roof with cross bars, squared wheel arches and the Sasquatch Package’s 17-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires.

Based on photos accompanying the announcement, it looks as if the vehicle’s interior has been left relatively untouched. That means that the SUV’s 12-inch touchscreen SYNC 4 infotainment is still there, smack dab in the center of the dashboard.

Under the hood of the variant, you’ll find the 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four. It comes mated to a 10-speed automatic transmission and generate 300 horse and 325 ft lbs of twist. No word on if the bigger 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 (which churns out 330 hp and 415 ft lbs of torque) and 7-speed manual transmission options will be available. It’s not as powerful as the just-announced Bronco Raptor, but with all the off-roading upgrades it’s more than up to the task of riding through the mud.

“Bronco customers like to explore new places, but some want to go even further off the trail than others,” Bronco chief engineer Jolanta Coffey 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.”

The Bronco Everglade Edition comes in five colors—variant-exclusive Desert Sand, Eruption Green, Area 51, Shadow Black and Cactus Gray—and will start at $53,000, plus fees. Ford will start taking orders for the souped up SUV in March, with deliveries expected to begin this summer.

We expect it will only burnish the nameplate’s off-roading reputation whenever it arrives.

Check out more photos of the Bronco Everglades below: