• Auto123 reviews the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling edition.
With its Ranger pickup underpinnings, big tires, retro styling and selection of ever-more-hardcore versions, the Ford Bronco full-size SUV continues to turn heads almost five years after it debuted. But for all the space the Bronco take up, the smaller Escape-based Bronco Sport still has a lot to give in the go (almost) anywhere crossover department. And 2024 saw Ford make that point with this: the bright, stripy Bronco Sport Free Wheeling.
Design of the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling – 8.5/10
The Free Wheeling gets some certifiably bananas stripes and bright orange wheel pockets. While the stripes can only be coloured to look a sunset from a Haring painting, the body colour can be any of the colours available on most other Bronco Sport models.
This finish isn’t for everyone, but for those not enchanted by it, there’s always the Heritage model. It costs the same as the Free Wheeling but swaps the stripes for unique colours like Robin’s Egg Blue and Hot Red Pepper red and adds a white roof, steelie wheels and white grille with red “Bronco” lettering.
Interior
It’s hard to tell unless you really look for it, but the roof gets just a little higher just aft of the b-pillars. It’s hidden a little by the roof rails, but it’s there to provide more headroom in the rear seats. Which, at 1,059 mm (with sunroof) is generous, and more than you’ll get in the Escape. The rear door opening is a little snug, though, so while sitting back there is fine, getting in and out in takes some care for larger individuals such as myself.
The right-rear seat can be flipped up to reveal more storage for wet items. That ingenuity extends to the rear cargo area which is chock-full of neat little details. You’ve got your tailgate divider that essentially provides two levels of storage. There are little clips along each side so you can harness your wares and if you want to have a quick bite to eat (or work on some of your gear), a portion of the divider can be used as a deployable table with legs and all. There’s even a bottle opener mounted to the wall of the rear cargo area. Oh, and swiveling lights mounted into the tailgate so you can make yourself even more at home back there.
The dual-tier cargo area is important because the tailgate actually opens two ways: you can either open the entire gate, or just the rear window and if you do the latter, you can just slide items through there and on to the raised “shelf” created by the tonneau cover below. Smart stuff.
Technology in the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling – 8.0/10
The dash is anchored by an 8-inch infotainment display with Ford’s SYNC3 interface, 6-speaker audio, dial-style shift selector, wireless charging and USB-C and USB-A ports. The gauge cluster isn’t fully exempt from new tech as it gets a 4.2-inch TFT display in between that displays all sorts of nice graphics. Indeed, the light show starts as soon as you step inside, with the infotainment display alighting with a cool graphic involving an avalanche of rocks combining to form the bucking-horse Bronco logo.
Powertrain of the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling – 7.0/10
Power for our tester comes courtesy a 1.5L turbocharged 3-cylinder with stop-start tech good for 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, fed to all four wheels via an 8-speed auto transmission with paddle shifters.
There is a larger engine in the Bronco Sport lineup, a 2.0L 4-cylinder making 250 hp and 277 lb-ft, but it’s only available on the top-spec Badlands trim, which starts at a not-exactly-inexpensive $48,845 before options.
Power comes on nice and smoothly with even a little bit of a hot hatchback-esque exhaust note which caught us off guard. It’s quick and zippy, spiriting you down the road with gumption and ensuring that you always have enough power on-tap for highway passes and so forth.
There are even some drive modes to choose from, although here, they aren’t officially called drive modes, but “G.O.A.T.”– “Goes Over Any Type of Terrain” – modes. As you do. There are five in all - Normal and Eco are good for city use, Sport and Slippery for highway use and Sand for off-roading.
Driving the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling – 7.5/10
You will be met with a bit of body roll as you take corners and speed, but that’s kind of to be expected with the tall ride height you’ve got here. The ride in general is a positive one with the dampers effectively insulating occupants from road imperfections. Train tracks and other everyday obstacles are taken properly in stride.
Which you shouldn’t scoff at because the Bronco Sport, with its independent rear axle is eminently capable of light or even moderate off-roading. We took it on some of the former and it was a revelation there, maintaining composure as the undulations became more repetitive and the surface that much looser. This is an off-road grappler, this is, and it should have no problem getting its owners to backcountry trailheads accessible only by logging roads, for example.
We were a little surprised not to get better fuel economy considering the engine size, averaging just under 11.0L/100 km in the combined cycle.
2024 Ford Bronco Sport pricing in Canada
- - 2024 Bronco Sport Big Bend - $41,290
- - 2024 Bronco Sport Heritage - $44,290
- - 2024 Bronco Sport Free Wheeling - $44,290
- - 2024 Bronco Sport Outer Banks - $45,490
- - 2024 Bronco Sport Badlands - $48,845
Some of your questions about the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling
Is there an FWD version of the Ford Bronco Sport?
AWD is standard on all Bronco Sport models.
Can I tow with my Bronco Sport?
A tow package is available, and it provides a class II hitch, trailer sway control and a towing capacity of 907 kg (2,000 lb).
The final word
The larger Bronco might grab the most attention, but the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling bucks that trend while being the more sensible model, landing firmly in the ultra-popular small crossover segment. It’s tailor-made for younger families and active individuals. That’s a tough group to crack, but it’s one that the Sport is well-equipped to tackle.
Competitors of the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling
- - GMC Terrain AT4
- - Honda Passport Trailsport
- - Hyundai Tucson XRT
- - Jeep Compass Trailhawk
- - Mazda CX-50 Meridian
