What’s one of the most underrated cars for sale today? As a long-time Ford fan who dreams of adding a Bronco to the garage, I don’t take the question lightly. When Ford introduced the Bronco, it was game over for me, and like many, I classified the Bronco Sport as the icon’s smaller, easily forgotten sibling. Like the “lite” version of Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing—less of the good stuff despite the name. But after the last few months, I’ve had a change of heart.
Redefining the Bronco Sport With the Sasquatch Package
My sister-in-law sold her beloved Escape last month, which had over 140,000 miles on the odometer and an air conditioner in dire need of attention. We gave the trusty Escape a fond farewell and celebrated when she fell in love with the Bronco Sport, which is perfect for her needs. For me, it was an excellent opportunity to test drive the ‘lil Bronco firsthand.
The Bronco Sport is agile and responsive, with Ford doing an outstanding job of equipping the SUV with a potent heartbeat that makes it engaging and peppy for its size. The interior is surprisingly spacious, so much so that I toyed with the idea of trading in my Explorer for the crossover. While my husband has a solid argument that our family is too large and carries too much stuff to make the Bronco Sport practical, I can’t discount its roomy cabin. My sister can cram a lot of groceries and other gear in the rear cargo area with or without the second row folded.
The Bronco Sport’s practicality caused my heart to stir, cultivating a perspective shift as I realized the crossover is more than a little Bronco. It’s worthy of the spotlight on its own accord. My opinion has only solidified with Ford introducing the Sasquatch Package for the updated 2025 Bronco Sport. The Sasquatch Package gives the Bronco Sport the chops to hold its own beyond the pavement, putting the “Bronco” in its name.
The Sasquatch Package: What It Is
The Bronco Sport’s five-trim lineup is unchanged for 2025, progressing from the Big Bend and Free Wheeling to the Heritage, Outer Banks, and Badlands. The Outer Banks and Badlands are the most adventurous in the family. Yet, Ford heightens that sense of adventure with the new Sasquatch Package as an optional upgrade on the top-tier trims.
Bronco Sport Outer Banks Sasquatch
The Bronco Sport Outer Banks rolls off Ford’s production line ready for the trail, but the Sasquatch Package gives the crossover an edge that heightens its agility when the blacktop ends. Ford swaps the standard four-wheel drive system with the Badlands’ advanced 4×4 with a twin-clutch rear drive unit. The upgrade is significant because it enhances the Bronco Sport’s handling on slippery terrain by sending torque to a single rear wheel, even with minimal to no traction on the other three wheels.
The Sasquatch’s advanced four-wheel drive system complements many other mechanical upgrades that make the Bronco Sport a competent trail runner. The HOSS 2.0 off-road suspension improves the Outer Banks’ performance on technical terrain, giving you more control in the driver’s seat. The steel-plated front and rear bumpers with a brush guard, high-clearance fender flares, front and rear recovery hooks, and steel underbody skid plates provide the protection necessary when answering the call of the wild.
Overall, the upgrades improve the Bronco Sport’s ground clearance and agility on and off the pavement. Yet, Ford doesn’t stop there. The American automaker sweetens the Sasquatch Package by adding Trail Control with One-Pedal Drive, which serves as a low-speed cruise control when navigating life beyond the pavement and prevents the need to switch from the gas to the brake in perilous circumstances.
Bronco Sport Badlands Sasquatch
The Badlands rolls off Ford’s factory floor ready for adventure. Ford equips the Bronco Sport’s top-tier trim with more off-road components than the Outer Banks. The Outer Banks relies on a 1.5L EcoBoost for power, but the Badlands upgrades the Bronco Sport’s heartbeat to a 2.0L EcoBoost and adds the advanced 4×4 system with a twin-clutch rear drive unit, which is only available on the Outer Banks if you get the Sasquatch Package. The Badlands also comes with standard metal bash plates, all-terrain tires, Ford Trail Control, and seven standard G.O.A.T. Modes that let you fine-tune the Bronco Sport’s performance to the situation and your driving style.
The Bronco Sport Badlands inches the ‘lil Bronco closer to its larger sibling in terms of its adventurous spirit, but the Sasquatch Package takes the crossover to the next level. It goes a step further than the Outer Banks Sasquatch Package, adding a HOSS 3.0 off-road suspension with Bilstein Position Sensitive Dampers for exceptional performance on technical terrain and in extreme conditions. These elements complement exterior upgrades that give the Badlands a rugged stance and serve a functional purpose, including the high-clearance fender flares, brush guard, and steel-plated rear bumpers with integrated recovery hooks at the front and rear.
The Sasquatch Package: What It Isn’t
Since its debut, the Bronco Sport has defined itself as an adventurous and sporty crossover. Its appeal is obvious, especially to those looking for a distinctly styled SUV that shares its name with a legend. It’s affectionately dubbed the ‘lil Bronco for a reason.
The Sasquatch Package adds to the Bronco Sport’s appeal and gives the crossover an edge that ensures it can follow through on its promise of adventure. The four-wheel drive Bronco Sport already doesn’t have a problem fulfilling that promise for most shoppers, but the Sasquatch Package entices drivers looking for something more. It’s designed to ready the Bronco Sport for rougher terrain, and it successfully does so with the improved HOSS suspension, high-clearance fender flares, and steel-plated bumpers.
With the Sasquatch Package, the Bronco Sport is more adventurous, but that doesn’t mean it can go toe-to-toe with its bigger sibling. Drivers shouldn’t expect as much because of the Bronco Sport’s smaller footprint and lower ground clearance. It’s not destined to crawl over boulders or maneuver through deep water crossings. The bigger Bronco excels in this arena, with the Bronco Sport Sasquatch being intended more for light-to-moderate off-roading.
Don’t Overlook the Bronco Sport
I used to drive a Jeep Wrangler, one of the most popular off-road SUVs in the industry, so my experience in the off-roading arena is firsthand and not based on a quick online search. Because of this, I think the Bronco Sport is often underrated and underappreciated for what it is. It’s easy to pigeonhole the Bronco Sport as a crossover that’s merely borrowing the popularity of an icon’s name. However, Ford goes above and beyond to give the Bronco Sport a firm foundation by improving its on and off-road prowess. The debut of the Sasquatch Package for 2025 proves as much by ensuring the Bronco Sport isn’t destined to spend its life on the pavement.
The Bronco Sport can’t offer the same off-road prowess of the iconic Bronco, but it isn’t meant to. Instead, it fills a vacancy in the industry for a rugged crossover that doesn’t simply look the part of an adventurer. The Bronco Sport Sasquatch balances its practicality and penchant for adventure, handling your Monday through Friday commute just as excitedly as it can tackle rougher terrain on Saturday and Sunday. In a time when drivers are more cost-aware when buying a vehicle, this balance is critical and gives the Bronco Sport an edge that’s hard to ignore among those looking for a well-rounded SUV.
