[karan561]

Video;

https://youtu.be/jZTdfVpOAEA

^ The above Video can be viewed as per the chapters based on the time stamps as under;

00:00 - Intro
02:01 - Shift Quality
04:28 - Driving Experience

For those who prefer text may read on;

[karan561]

Exterior Design;

Successful re-interpretation of a timeless classic.



^ Perfect combination of Retro - Modern.



^ Very BLOCKY too;

Note: The Doors & Roof are detachable

This portion/angle reminds me of a very popular selling car in India;



OE General Grabbers would be more than adequate for most excursions & felt quiet at Highway speeds too;



^ 17" wheels are steelies & not alloys.

Blacked out because;

This was the BLACK DIAMOND edition;



Street Presence;



Interior;



^ The Bronco's interior has been designed to blend tech savvy modern interior & touch screen with a retro theme. The rest of the interior uses a good amount of plastic. The grab handles and air vent tabs have a blue soft textured material for haptics. I personally don't really dislike the interior but honestly it doesn't feel as retro on the inside as it did from the outside. Seats were pretty comfortable too. Getting in and out into the rear seats (legroom is good too) was not a big task considering the size & dimensions of the Bronco allowing easy access for large bodies individuals too. Headroom felt adequate as well. Being the Black Diamond edition it featured rubberised flooring with drain plugs. Overall it's a pretty adventure ready interior as it feels durable, functional and stylish.

[karan561]

Engine & Driving Performance;



If you want a Manual Transmission then the only way to have it is with the 2.3L EcoBoost Engine. The spec is about 300 HP & 440 NM. So you can't spec the larger engines or the Raptor with a Manual.

However that's not all bad news as this 2.3L turbo petrol (Inline 4 cylinder) suits the Manual very well and has enough power & grunt throughout to keep you entertained while sounding good, really good.

You can really hustle this horse and it keeps you entertained especially when you are in the power-band. However, there is turbo lag which you do encounter if you don't work the gears well, but when the boost arrives the surge from the engine is aplenty.



^ I personally disliked the Equaliser style Digital Revv counter which was really difficult to keep up with while using the Manual.

Regards to the Handling, do note the Bronco when in 2-Hi mode drives as RWD. Handling is good for its size & construction (body on frame, based on Endeavour/Ranger underpinnings) as it shows eagerness for enthusiastic driving with a cushiony riding suspension hence the tuning is good. The handling may not be as good with the Sasquatch package IMO. Overall highway mannerisms make you feel planted which is good.

The 4x4 is an Electronic Shift on the fly system. In addition it also gets a signature G.O.A.T. (Go Over Any Terrain) management system which has the following modes;

Normal: Daily Driving Mode.
Sand: Disables traction to aid Sand Driving.
Eco: For Fuel efficiency.
Sport: Responsive.
Slippery: Great for slushy, rainy or snowy conditions.





The above driving modes are simple to switch (via Dial) and they are useful in nearly any driving condition one may encounter. I personally used Slippery & Sport the most and can say they do make a difference altering the throttle & traction to adapt.

7 Speed Getrag Manual;

The thread is dedicated to this gearbox as very few vehicles in the history have had 7 Speed Manuals & this is one of them.



This is a completely new gearbox developed specifically by Ford for Bronco.

Today in the part sharing world, designing a new M/T is always a welcome move.

It's codenamed MTI550 where the number 550 denotes the max torque rating for gearbox which is 550NM (but upto 650 NM possible on LCV's)

This gearbox also goes by the nomenclature "MT88" (Note: Mustang uses MT82).

Yes, this is a 7 speed manual but there's a Catch;



The Ford Bronco's 7th gear isn't meant to serve as a High Speed or a Fuel Saving gear, but rather as a low gear which lets it crawl along Off Road. It's actually a C + 6 Speed front & Reverse where in the C stands for "Creeper" or "Crawler" gear. The nomenclature C Was chosen instead of 1st & a total of 7 forward gears because this is sort of the shorter 1st gear.

Note: This gear is often referred to as "Granny" gear as well because it really limits the vehicle speed while off road or crawling over rocks.

Depending on the situation, the Bronco can be driven with the crawler gear and transfer case in high range or with the crawler gear and transfer case in low range. This gear allows the Bronco to move very slowly while generating loads of torque, much beyond the 1st gear. I personally did not have the opportunity to try or test out the C gear as did not venture off road.

To recapitulate, the " C " gear's super low gearing allows more accurate throttle control instead of giving too much power and spinning tyres when you need grip, also prevents clutch burn

Gearing Ratios of this 7 Speed manual are as under:

Crawling gear: 6.588:1
1st: 4.238:1
2nd: 2.365:1
3rd: 1.453:1
4th: 1.000:1
5th: 0.776:1
6th: 0.646:1
Reverse: 5.625:1

Shift Quality;



Gear shift quality is Precise, the way it should be.

The throw is not that long which is good for a SUV of this category.

The shift quality remains when shifting aggressively too, hence aiding sporty driving styles.

Clutch was pretty light too irrespective of the car being done 20k miles on the odo.

The gearbox also offers the revv matching feature which is cool.

Downshifts are also spot on as well

Parting Thoughts;

Finally to summarise, my message to fellow enthusiasts is that we need to really keep buying Manual cars otherwise the Auto Manufacturers are not going to develop new Manual Gearboxes.

Thank you !

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line. Thanks for sharing!

[Jeroen]

Thanks for sharing! As I hard core, multiple Jeep Cherokee owner I like the boxy design!

I think Ford did a great job making something that stands out from the crowd.

But a seven speed manual box? I think the 6 speed in my little Mini is already overkill. Half the time I end up skipping gears anyway.

Mind you, the auto box is a ten speed I believe. And then there is the price. This things sells from Euro 170K upwards here in the Netherlands. That is obscene.

We are talking Range Rover prices and this things sells is no Range Rover. Not by a long shot.

Jeroen

[starlord]

Loved that it has a manual transmission. The sound is indeed great and revving sounds immensely satisfying between gear up shifts. I wonder if they have a manual for the bronco raptor. A V8 bronco raptor with manual transmission would be one of the dreams come true.

[JediKnight]

Originally Posted by karan561

It's actually a C + 6 Speed front & Reverse where in the C stands for "Creeper" or "Crawler" gear.

I always used to salivate thinking what would a raised FWD hatch (Like a Fiat Panda) with a crawler gear and a limited slip differential do. I guess it would do 95% of any hard core off-roader could achieve. I just hate transfer cases and big 4wd systems. Just make things too heavy and complicated.

Originally Posted by karan561

Finally to summarise, my message to fellow enthusiasts is that we need to really keep buying Manual cars otherwise the Auto Manufacturers are not going to develop new Manual Gearboxes.
Thank you !

Couldn't agree more. For me MT is a non-negotiable feature for an ICE powered vehicle.

[karan561]

Originally Posted by Jeroen

Thanks for sharing! As I hard core, multiple Jeep Cherokee owner I like the boxy design!

I think Ford did a great job making something that stands out from the crowd.

But a seven speed manual box? I think the 6 speed in my little Mini is already overkill. Half the time I end up skipping gears anyway.

Mind you, the auto box is a ten speed I believe. And then there is the price. This things sells from Euro 170K upwards here in the Netherlands. That is obscene.

We are talking Range Rover prices and this things sells is no Range Rover. Not by a long shot.

Jeroen

Thanks for sharing your experience.

Also I believe this is the cheapest 7 speed Manual one can buy in the North America & Canada region.

Originally Posted by starlord

Loved that it has a manual transmission. The sound is indeed great and revving sounds immensely satisfying between gear up shifts.

Yes Indeed.
As you've seen in the video the sound is really good for a 4cyl, very sporty.

I wonder if they have a manual for the bronco raptor. A V8 bronco raptor with manual transmission would be one of the dreams come true.

No.

Originally Posted by JediKnight

I always used to salivate thinking what would a raised FWD hatch (Like a Fiat Panda) with a crawler gear and a limited slip differential do. I guess it would do 95% of any hard core off-roader could achieve. I just hate transfer cases and big 4wd systems. Just make things too heavy and complicated.

Surely would.

Couldn't agree more. For me MT is a non-negotiable feature for an ICE powered vehicle.

We need more of us