The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Compared to the Jeep Cherokee and Compass Trailhawk
America’s compact off-roaders, by the numbers.
After many months of leaks, teasers, rumors, and delays, the 2021 Ford Bronco family is finally here. Along with the regular two- and four-door Broncos, Ford also unveiled the smaller Bronco Sport, a five-seat, four-door small crossover SUV with an off-road slant. It'll still be a while until we can get our hands on the "Baby Bronco" and see how it stacks up to its competitors on the road and trail, but we thought it'd be helpful to see how it compares against its small-but-outdoorsy rivals from Jeep on paper.
By the numbers, here's how the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands stands next to the Trailhawk versions of Jeep's Cherokee and Compass, its two closest analogs (size-wise, it fits directly between those two). For comparison's sake, both the Bronco and Cherokee here are equipped with their upmarket, 2.0-liter turbo engines.
2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands | 2.0L EcoBoost
- Price: $32,660
- Power: 245 horsepower | 275 lb-ft of torque
- Dimensions: 172.7 inches long x 82.2 inches wide x 71.4 inches high
- Ground Clearance: 8.8 inches (with optional 29-inch A/T tires)
- Approach/Breakover/Departure Angle: 30.4/20.4/33.1 degrees (with optional 29-inch A/T tires)
- Curb Weight: TBA
- Fuel Economy: TBA
2021 Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk | 2.0L Turbo
- Price: $36,750
- Power: 270 horsepower | 295 lb-ft of torque
- Dimensions: 182.9 inches long x 74.9 inches wide x 67.8 inches high
- Ground Clearance: 8.7 inches
- Approach/Breakover/Departure Angle: 29.9/22.9/32.2 degrees
- Curb Weight: 4,260 pounds
- Fuel Economy: 20 mpg city | 26 mpg highway | 22 mpg combined
2021 Jeep Compass Trailhawk | 2.4L Tigershark
- Price: $31,345
- Power: 180 horsepower | 175 lb-ft of torque
- Dimensions: 173 inches long x 80 inches wide x 64.6 inches high
- Ground Clearance: 8.5 inches
- Approach/Breakover/Departure Angle: 30.3/24.4/33.6 degrees
- Curb Weight: 3,633 pounds
- Fuel Economy: 22 mpg city | 30 mpg highway | 25 mpg combined
So what do we learn here? It's tough to say until we know exactly what the Bronco Sport Badlands trim will add in terms of cost, but it's clearly competitive with the Cherokee Trailhawk in terms of power and very similar in terms of approach, breakover and departure angles. So while it's a crossover to the big Bronco's true SUV setup, it definitely seems like it can take care of itself in terms of off-road capabilities. We expect to know more as additional specs are released in the months and weeks to come.
At the very least, it's good enough to make you wonder what General Motors was thinking with that watered-down Chevrolet Trailblazer.
