2024 Ford Bronco Sport Gets Retro Graphics and Seats With Free Wheeling Edition
Not all retro builds are good, but Ford really pulled this one off.
Ford is digging up a deep cut for its small-but-capable off-roader, the Bronco Sport, by giving it a retro special edition that harkens back to the late '70s. Back then, Ford offered a Free Wheeling package for the F-100, F-150, Bronco, and even the Econoline van. Now, the 2024 Ford Bronco Sport Free Wheeling edition is bringing the funky sunburst pattern back.
This new edition of the Bronco Sport is actually based on a one-off project vehicle Ford showed off back in 2021. According to Jason Hyde, Bronco Sport Marketing Manager, the response from fans was so overwhelming that it decided to make it a reality.
Like the originals, the Bronco Sport Free Wheeling edition has red, orange, and yellow stripes down its side, on its hood, and on its tailgate. It also gets gloss black and red wheels, a new silver grille finish, and matching patterns on the seats. The Free Wheeling package is purely aesthetic, with no mechanical changes to the baby Bronco, but it's a very fun one that accurately reimagines a classic theme.
Despite lacking any unique mechanical upgrades, the Free Wheeling edition features the Bronco Sport Big Bend's standard equipment. That means a 1.5-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 181 horsepower and 190 pound-feet of torque, which is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. It also gets MOLLE straps inside to secure all of your gear inside the cabin while venturing off the beaten path.
In the 1970s, Ford released the Free Wheeling package to attract younger, fun-loving customers and the new one is designed to do the same. I'm not so sure '70s nostalgia is what younger buyers want but it is fun to see a car that looks like it's from a Bee Gees video sold in 2023.
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