Ford Bronco Sport Will Be Cheaper for 2027, but Lose Features

[rmc523]

Ford Bronco Sport Will Be Cheaper for 2027, but Lose Features - Autoblog

 

Here’s what’s changing for 2027:

Big Bend: Loses the fold-down rear center armrest with cupholders and heated side mirrors.

Heritage: Heated side mirrors are no longer standard.

Outer Banks: The 6-way power passenger seat becomes a 6-way manual seat, while the auto-dimming rearview mirror is no longer standard.

Badlands: Drops the 8-way power driver’s seat in favor of a 6-way manual seat, loses standard dual-zone climate control, and also loses the auto-dimming rearview mirror as standard equipment.

[BenKohnen]

Here's the info out of the Product Info Guide:
Price-wise, there's a base price drop of about $200 on most trims, about $500 on Badlands. Flip side of that, the Convenience and Tech/Premium packages have gone up in price.

 

 

 

[T-dubz]

Seems more like a price increase if you ask me. If all the stuff they took away was in a package, ford would charge at least 2,000 for it, yet you only get a $500 price drop.

 

We were just at the dealership today dropping off our Explorer to get recalls and numerous other issues fixed. My wife couldn’t believe how expensive the Bronco Sports are now. Big Bends pushing 40k now?

[Sherminator98]

15 minutes ago, T-dubz said:

We were just at the dealership today dropping off our Explorer to get recalls and numerous other issues fixed. My wife couldn’t believe how expensive the Bronco Sports are now. Big Bends pushing 40k now?

 

If they are fully loaded, yes-but you can still get them well equipped for about $32-34K

[Zestyg]

It looks like they’re trying to make the Outer Banks and Badlands different flavors rather than the latter being strictly superior to the former. Main result is just that its probably a lot more expensive now to get the badlands with amenities previously standard. Personally, I would just like for them to make the turbo-4 an option on Outer Banks.

 

edit: is there some production squeeze with the turbo-4? It previously wasn’t that hard to get on the Escape and Maverick but now the former is gone and the latter it is only on higher trims.

Edited August 31 by Zestyg

[BenKohnen]

Heck, I just saw a 2026 Escape Active on someone's lot priced out over $40k... and that wasn't as high as it could have gotten.

Year-to-year pricing has definitely become a shell game. Hold the price or lower it, but take away a bunch of standard features, putting them into a bundle isn't exactly holding the price. I tend to go into a new model year building out a new unit to have the features the prior year had, just to get an apples-to-apples read. Base trim level, plus our normal stuff, plus whatever Extortion Package there is for the year. That kind of thing.

[mackinaw]

At least they got rid of auto stop-start. 

[twintornados]

3 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

At least they got rid of auto stop-start. 

 

One less chipset to program

[Texasota]

9 minutes ago, mackinaw said:

At least they got rid of auto stop-start. 

That’s progress. I just spent $100 to eliminate the Dumb ASS on my Ranger. Hate it with a passion. 

[HotRunrGuy]

4 hours ago, BenKohnen said:

Heck, I just saw a 2026 Escape Active on someone's lot priced out over $40k... and that wasn't as high as it could have gotten.

Year-to-year pricing has definitely become a shell game. Hold the price or lower it, but take away a bunch of standard features, putting them into a bundle isn't exactly holding the price. I tend to go into a new model year building out a new unit to have the features the prior year had, just to get an apples-to-apples read. Base trim level, plus our normal stuff, plus whatever Extortion Package there is for the year. That kind of thing.

 

So I've been pricing out a 2027 Maverick Tremor (which would be my 4th Maverick), and after adding back in the deleted features, it's about $2800 LESS than a 2026.

 

It's almost a no-brainer to order a fresh one.

 

HRG

[Zestyg]

15 minutes ago, HotRunrGuy said:

 

So I've been pricing out a 2027 Maverick Tremor (which would be my 4th Maverick), and after adding back in the deleted features, it's about $2800 LESS than a 2026.

 

It's almost a no-brainer to order a fresh one.

 

HRG

The Maverick price changes seemed to have a lot more to do with rebalancing the powertrains than mere decontenting. Is it possible to get a Lobo SVT300 for under $40k now? Greatest product they’ve made in years tbh.

[Sherminator98]

5 hours ago, Zestyg said:

edit: is there some production squeeze with the turbo-4? It previously wasn’t that hard to get on the Escape and Maverick but now the former is gone and the latter it is only on higher trims.

 

Fuel economy? 

Also the 2.0L has only been on the badlands trim on the Bronco Sport AFIAKR

[BenKohnen]

18 hours ago, Zestyg said:

It looks like they’re trying to make the Outer Banks and Badlands different flavors rather than the latter being strictly superior to the former. Main result is just that its probably a lot more expensive now to get the badlands with amenities previously standard. Personally, I would just like for them to make the turbo-4 an option on Outer Banks.

 

edit: is there some production squeeze with the turbo-4? It previously wasn’t that hard to get on the Escape and Maverick but now the former is gone and the latter it is only on higher trims.

I'm still lost as to why the Bronco Sport wouldn't move from 1.5L and 2.0L engines to 2.5L hybrid and 2.0L gas options. Dump the unloved 1.5L 3-pot EcoBoost, drop in the existing 2.5L hybrid system, and be happy with the fuel efficiency. Want to have gas options for more of the lineup? Great, 2.0L. Simplify that supply chain.

17 hours ago, mackinaw said:

At least they got rid of auto stop-start. 

Amen.   Not every 2027 will be dropping it, but we'll see it gone completely within the next year.

14 hours ago, HotRunrGuy said:

 

So I've been pricing out a 2027 Maverick Tremor (which would be my 4th Maverick), and after adding back in the deleted features, it's about $2800 LESS than a 2026.

 

It's almost a no-brainer to order a fresh one.

 

HRG

I had to run the numbers on Tremor and High Lobo three times to be sure. Read over the pricing guide and order guide, and then built them in the real-world order system. Yep, legit significant price drop. If I get people coming in that want a gas Lariat, I'm going to point them to a Tremor or High Lobo.

13 hours ago, Zestyg said:

The Maverick price changes seemed to have a lot more to do with rebalancing the powertrains than mere decontenting. Is it possible to get a Lobo SVT300 for under $40k now? Greatest product they’ve made in years tbh.

We're completely baffled by the dropping of the gas engine on XL and Lariat. It's almost like someone making decisions only gets input from select markets. The Maverick is a mass-market vehicle, and hybrid isn't optimal for a lot of the mass market... just like fully electric isn't optimal for many people... and diesel isn't optimal for many people.

[Zestyg]

15 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

 

Fuel economy? 

Also the 2.0L has only been on the badlands trim on the Bronco Sport AFIAKR

It has always been restricted to Badlands, I mean more that you could get the 2.0L on a mere ST-Line Escape or XL Maverick until MY2027. 
 

26 minutes ago, BenKohnen said:

We're completely baffled by the dropping of the gas engine on XL and Lariat. It's almost like someone making decisions only gets input from select markets. The Maverick is a mass-market vehicle, and hybrid isn't optimal for a lot of the mass market... just like fully electric isn't optimal for many people... and diesel isn't optimal for many people.

The Maverick is a mass market vehicle in large part driven by its hybrid powertrain. The market ever since Trump came in is pretty strong evidence to the contrary of what you are saying as well regarding mass market and hybrids. 

[BenKohnen]

49 minutes ago, Zestyg said:

It has always been restricted to Badlands, I mean more that you could get the 2.0L on a mere ST-Line Escape or XL Maverick until MY2027. 
 

The Maverick is a mass market vehicle in large part driven by its hybrid powertrain. The market ever since Trump came in is pretty strong evidence to the contrary of what you are saying as well regarding mass market and hybrids. 

I'll admit that my market area is... weird. I'm in a farming town of 230 people, and we draw people from four small cities 20-30 minutes away from us. EV's aren't a factor here, but they were at my prior Ford store. Hybrids are a tough sell here, but we get the occassional person interested. We have a lot of people who won't buy a vehicle with a turbo. We also see a shocking number of flip phones and people who don't have an e-mail address. 😄 
That said, it's tough when Ford puts the limits on configurations. Limiting the 2-liter in the Bronco Sport to the Badlands kept a lot of my buyers at both stores away from them, and actually pushed Maverick sales a bit. I've got customers who wouldn't buy the trim levels of truck they really wanted because they came stock with a moon roof that couldn't be deleted, and those who wouldn't buy above a Lariat because they couldn't get the 5-liter. That last one, Ford did just walk back, putting the Coyote back into all trim levels of the F-150. Still can't get one in an STX without getting the Lobo, a package that's drawn zero interest around me but I'm sure it's doing fine in other areas.

[Sherminator98]

9 hours ago, Zestyg said:

It has always been restricted to Badlands, I mean more that you could get the 2.0L on a mere ST-Line Escape or XL Maverick until MY2027. 

The ST-Line was a performance appearance package, so might as well have some sort of performance behind it. 

 

 

10 hours ago, BenKohnen said:

I'm still lost as to why the Bronco Sport wouldn't move from 1.5L and 2.0L engines to 2.5L hybrid and 2.0L gas options. Dump the unloved 1.5L 3-pot EcoBoost, drop in the existing 2.5L hybrid system, and be happy with the fuel efficiency. Want to have gas options for more of the lineup? Great, 2.0L. Simplify that supply chain.

 

My wife went from an AWD 2.0L Escape to the AWD 1.5L Ecobost in the Bronco Sport and she has zero complaints about the performance out of it and likes the fact that the better gas mileage lets her go an extra 3-4 days in-between getting gas. Apparently its a decent engine that lasts vs the old I3 also. 

 

I've driven it a bit and it really doesn't give up much performance between 0-50 and I've only noticed a slight performance loss at highway speeds with it vs the old Escape. 

 

As for engines and CAFE, I don't think any maker is really thinking that CAFE is going to stay the way it is for a long period of time. Once the administration changes at some point, I bet that they'll be lucky to have 4-5 years to go back to meeting requirements for CAFE again. So your lucky if you'll have a product cycle to keep doing what your doing and I'm gonna guess that Ford has engine production forecasted out 2-3 years and can't really switch gears that rapidly when it comes to certain things. 

 

I see a Hybrid getting added, but adding 2.0L to say the BS isn't going to happen IMO. 

Edited September 2 by Sherminator98

[twintornados]

8 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

...I see a Hybrid getting added, but adding 2.0L to say the BS isn't going to happen IMO. 

 

2.0L EB is available in Bronco Sport - just gotta get a Badlands to get it. 

[Sherminator98]

1 hour ago, twintornados said:

 

2.0L EB is available in Bronco Sport - just gotta get a Badlands to get it. 

 

My point was adding the 2L to more trims.

 

Just as an example, you could get the 2.7L V6 on the Big Bend "full sized" Bronco, but that option went away a few years after it released. I don't think Ford has added the 2.7 or now the 3.0L back to other trims with the changes in CAFE

 

[akirby]

18 hours ago, BenKohnen said:

Hybrids are a tough sell here, but we get the occassional person interested.

That's strange.  RAV4 is now hybrid only.  There is zero reason for someone to exclude hybrids.  They're super reliable and operate exactly the same as non hybrids but with far better fuel economy.

[Zestyg]

19 hours ago, BenKohnen said:

Hybrids are a tough sell here

i’m sorry it’s really hard to take these sorts of people seriously when five years ago, I’m sure they would be complaining about the turbo, now they’re presented with a fuel efficient, naturally aspirated, straight 4 and they’re like nah I want the turbo 😭 

Edited September 2 by Zestyg

[BenKohnen]

12 hours ago, Sherminator98 said:

My wife went from an AWD 2.0L Escape to the AWD 1.5L Ecobost in the Bronco Sport and she has zero complaints about the performance out of it and likes the fact that the better gas mileage lets her go an extra 3-4 days in-between getting gas. Apparently its a decent engine that lasts vs the old I3 also. 

 

I've driven it a bit and it really doesn't give up much performance between 0-50 and I've only noticed a slight performance loss at highway speeds with it vs the old Escape. 

 

As for engines and CAFE, I don't think any maker is really thinking that CAFE is going to stay the way it is for a long period of time. Once the administration changes at some point, I bet that they'll be lucky to have 4-5 years to go back to meeting requirements for CAFE again. So your lucky if you'll have a product cycle to keep doing what your doing and I'm gonna guess that Ford has engine production forecasted out 2-3 years and can't really switch gears that rapidly when it comes to certain things. 

 

I see a Hybrid getting added, but adding 2.0L to say the BS isn't going to happen IMO. 

I'll admit the 1.5 3-cylinder isn't a weak motor for a vehicle that's Escape/Bronco Sport sized. It's got enough power, which hasn't always been the case for some vehicles that Ford has under-engined in the US (Transit Connect, looking at you). Given the choice between the current 1.5 and the prior 4-cylinder 1.5, I'd take the current one all day long. We had a prior 1.5 that, like many of those, did the coolant intrusion in the block, blew the motor at 42k miles. The current 1.5 has its own issues, but they're known things, like the water pumps and oil pump belt.

 

One hitch with the 1.5 3-cylinder is that the only remaining US market vehicle using that engine now is the Bronco Sport. There's a few other models overseas that use it, but it's a short list. Unless there's another vehicle coming up that might be able to use it, I'd think having only one model running an engine is tough, supply chain wise.

 

You're 100% spot on with CAFE and administration things. I firmly believe that's part of what drives the continued development of more hybrids and more EV's. The current federal viewpoint on electrified vehicles won't always be in place, and is subject to change literally every four years. If suddenly in 2028/2029 the administration flips sides, nobody in the auto business, Ford included, wants to get caught pants down and have to rush some cobble-job rig into production just to comply with an unreasonable timeline and an unreasonable expectation.

 

2 hours ago, akirby said:

That's strange.  RAV4 is now hybrid only.  There is zero reason for someone to exclude hybrids.  They're super reliable and operate exactly the same as non hybrids but with far better fuel economy.

 

1 hour ago, Zestyg said:

i’m sorry it’s really hard to take these sorts of people seriously when five years ago, I’m sure they would be complaining about the turbo, now they’re presented with a fuel efficient, naturally aspirated, straight 4 and they’re like nah I want the turbo 😭 

Personally, I like the idea of hybrids, especially the way Ford approaches them. I see the Maverick and Escape as "conventional" setups, aimed at great fuel efficiency, and they hit that target. Then there's the F-150 PowerBoost, which doesn't specifically get wildly better fuel efficiency but takes the "supercar" route, using the hybrid inclusion to add power to the driveline. I like both paths, and would myself have no problems running a hybrid.

 

Where we do run into a few real-world issues is that we've got a bunch of people who put so few miles on their vehicles, it's been causing problems with the hybrid as well as the 12-volt battery systems. A battery tender could help with the 12-volt, but does nothing for the hybrid battery.

 

One thing I'm constantly talking about with our customers is options. I'm a HUGE fan of having and exploring options. It's the only way to be sure you'll have the best of whatever can be had. Sometimes that's about how they're buying a vehicle - cash, finance, finance with Ford, lease, different terms and programs. Just ran one last night that was a first, setting up a 48-month lease on a truck. Just having options, to me, is important. It makes sure we're not losing customers because we don't have the options they want. When we don't have a vehicle category (Escape/Edge) the customer wants, they've got the choice of keep what they have, settle for a vehicle they don't really like, or jump brands. When we don't have powertrain options the customer wants... same story. And sometimes, what the customers want isn't actually the best choice for what they're doing - I still get people that want maximum towing with their F-150 so they want the V8 - but they want what they want.

[Sherminator98]

1 hour ago, BenKohnen said:

Where we do run into a few real-world issues is that we've got a bunch of people who put so few miles on their vehicles, it's been causing problems with the hybrid as well as the 12-volt battery systems. A battery tender could help with the 12-volt, but does nothing for the hybrid battery.

 

How many miles are you talking about? I have a nearly 5 year old bronco and I'm almost at 35K miles with it

 

This is the least amount I've driven a vehicle since I've had my drivers license back in 1993..it helps only having a 15 mile commute into work too.  

[BenKohnen]

Lot of retired people, or people who have 3, 4, 5 different vehicles. These guys are putting on like 2000 or less miles per year. Crazy. And they trade these things in every 2-3 years.