There are two ways to get your hands on an SUV fit for the swamplands. You can buy a capable off-roader, rip out the carpeting, and then add a snorkel, winch and oversized tires. Or you can skip the hassle of chasing the aftermarket and buy a vehicle that comes ready to swim right out of the box.
Ford must’ve realized that a lot of off-roaders would prefer the latter because they have created the near-perfect vehicle for North America’s slimiest mudholes. It’s the Bronco Everglades – the only of eight Bronco models that comes with a full wetsuit.
Of course, if you need something burlier, there’s the Bronco Raptor we reviewed here.
No aftermarket parts for this Ford Bronco necessary
As the name suggests, it’s built to wade into deep waters where lesser vehicles fear to tread. Shod with 35-inch Goodyear mud terrain tires mounted on 17-inch rims, this aqua-craving toy has a full 29 cm (11.5 inches) of ground clearance and all the basics you need to explore the wetlands.
And the basics are impressive indeed. Unmodified, this vehicle is ready to ford up to 93 cm (36.5 inches) of the slimiest soup on offer. It comes with a designed-for-Bronco snorkel that can inhale air from either the front or the rear with the simple switch of a plate, and raised vents for the front and rear axles, transfer case and transmission.
The reinforced front bumper also comes mounted with a Warn winch rated to pull up to 10,000 pounds. A heavy-duty roof rack and removable roof panels are also standard.
The Bronco Everglades really is that capable (but at a cost)
One-of-a-kind is loaded phrase, but none of the Everglades’ three closest rivals: Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, Toyota 4Runner and Land Rover Defender, come fitted for such a single purpose. They’re cheaper to buy because of it, with the Rubicon weighing in at US$46,000 for the 4-door ($49,645 in Canada), plus delivery and tax, the 4Runner at $38,805 (C$51,050), plus delivery and tax, and Defender starts at $53,400 for the four-door Defender 110 model (C$69,000 in Canada).
At first glance, the Everglades’ $54,545 price (Canadian list of $79,599), plus delivery and tax, is as breathtaking as the first high-speed swamp plunge.
Yet the sting eases when you consider that it comes with not only the features mentioned above but also the Sasquatch package, which includes front and rear locking differentials, 17-inch Beadlock gray-painted alloy wheels designed to look like steel wheels, 4.7 final drive ratio, heavy-duty Bilstein position-sensitive monotube shocks, and high-clearance fender flares.
The Everglades can also wade through water 16 cm (6.4 inches) deeper than the Rubicon. And because bragging rights matter, the Everglades has a distinctive graphic on the front fender announcing its water-worthiness.
Inside this 4-door 2022 Bronco: it’s all WYSIWYG
The inside of the Everglades puts function over fashion since it fully expects to have a regular date with a garden hose. Rubberized, hose-out flooring with drain holes is standard and the seats come in marine-grade vinyl.
The Sync 4 interface, Ford’s latest, includes a 12-inch (diagonal) touchscreen and the infotainment system offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The base six-speaker sound system is the only audio offered.
Power and performance
Still, it comes as a mild surprise that Ford chose to drop the – ahem – modestly-powered 2.3-litre EcoBoost four-cylinder into this swamp brat when some less-expensive Bronco models have the beefier 2.7-litre EcoBoost engine (315 horsepower and 415 lb.-ft. of torque).
I guess they figure the 2.3’s 300 horsepower and 325 lb.-ft. of torque is plenty for slogging through the mud, but it sure makes for mediocre highway cruising. The 10-speed automatic is the only transmission option, although a few other Bronco models offer a seven-speed manual.
Still, the Everglades proved its chops in New Brunswick’s backcountry. Tip-toeing across a narrow ATV bridge, the Everglades plunged gleefully into a menacing stretch of nearly waste-deep water. “Mud/ruts” is one of seven modes in Ford’s G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Type of Terrain) drive options, and it automatically engages 4-High and locks the rear differential. The next effect is pure, unrestrained fun.
Takeaway: is the Bronco Everglades edition worth the hype?
Truth is, once you get over that big gulp of a price tag, you realize you’ve got your hands on an SUV that is ready to play right away. There quite simply isn’t any other factory vehicle on the market better suited for the wettest and wildest of rides.
