2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands

By: Joshua Lee
September 7, 2022

Another well known name is coming back into the automotive world! It has been 25 years since we’ve heard about the Bronco and Ford has brought this iconic name back with three variations: a burly midsize off-roader, the Bronco, the recently released high performance SUV, Bronco Raptor, and a compact crossover, the Bronco Sport. With three different vehicles to choose from, Ford hopes the latter will entice more customers into the Bronco family.

2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands - Driveman.ca

We got the keys to the 2022 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands from Ford Canada to see whether this crossover SUV is worthy of the Bronco nameplate. Out of the four trims, the Badlands is the top and is the off-road oriented model in the lineup. It features front tow hooks, off-road suspension providing 8.8” of ground clearance, upgraded 4×4 system with twin-clutch rear drive, optional 17” rugged aluminum wheels, metal bash plates, power moonroof, and a front 180-degree camera.

The Badlands is the only model equipped with the 2.0L turbo four-cylinder Ecoboost engine providing 250 horsepower and 277 lb-ft or torque which is plenty for city driving. Power is quick and the eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters shifts smoothly as well. The ride is comfortable, and steering is effortless, but you experience more body roll due to its softer springs and increased height.

The Bronco Sport Badlands is based on the Ford Escape’s platform and is uniquely designed to show off its off-road capabilities. We like its rugged good looks from its one-piece grille, round headlamps, sculpted hood, black contrast safari-style roof, and white ‘BRONCO’ lettering. The manual tailgate is practical as well with an added benefit of a flip-up rear glass.

Stepping in and out of the Bronco Sport is easy too without the need to climb in. We feel that the cabin is on the cheaper side with lots of hard plastic; however, the ebony/brown leather seats are nicely padded with suede inserts and bronze accents on the centre console and door panels give a nice contrast to the black interior.

We love how all the controls are within arm’s reach and the SYNC 3 system is very easy to master on the 8” touch screen but there is a bit of lag between menus. The 10 speaker Bang & Olufsen sound system is crisp and sounds good. You get two additional G.O.A.T. (Goes Over Any Terrain) modes from the standard five; Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl, and all seven have different animations on the 6.5” driver’s display.

The interior is well thought out for the outdoors with zippered pockets and MOLLE straps on the front seat backs, under seat storage compartment on the right rear seat, adjustable floodlights on the tailgate, and rubberized cargo floor/flooring/rear seat backs for easy clean up. With its high roof, rear passengers get ample headroom and 822L of cargo space behind the 2^nd row. Folding down the seats expands it to 1703L with room for two upright bikes.

Our Bronco Sport Badlands is equipped with Ford Co-Pilot360 Assist+ that adds adaptive cruise control with Stop-and-Go, lane centering, and speed sign recognition, evasive steering assist, and voice activated navigation with SiriusXM Traffic and Travel Link.

The Bronco Sport starts at $35,999, Big Bend at $38,899, Outer Banks at $42,899, and the Badlands trim at $46,149. Our fully loaded Cactus Grey tester with optional splash guards and floor liners comes to $55,844.

Judging by its boxy look, official fuel economy ratings for the Bronco Sport is 11.1/9.0/10.2L/100KM city/highway/combined and we matched the combined rating during the week.

The Bronco Sport Badlands is in a class of its own. Most will use it for urban use, but it is competent for camping trips and off-road situations. The Badlands trim gives buyers similar traits to its big brother, Bronco, but without the bulky size. The Bronco Sport Badlands is quite charming to drive, nicely packaged with premium features, and offers lots of functionality. It has impressed us for the week and its “get up and go” character makes us look forward to unforgettable weekend adventures with family and friends.