The 2021 Ford Bronco quietly got revised power and torque figures.
When automakers release a spec sheet on an upcoming vehicle, some of those figures are preliminary and can be subject to change. Not necessarily by a small amount either, as we’re learning with the 2021 Ford Bronco. Folks over at Bronco6G forums noticed Friday night that the company quietly updated the upcoming SUV’s technical specs. In the process, the new Bronco actually managed a noteworthy improvement in both power and torque from what it originally projected using the SAE J1349 standard.
On a side note, as the Bronco shares its 2.3-liter EcoBoost engine with the Ranger pickup, we could see a similar change there as well. As far as the numbers are concerned, the 2021 Ford Bronco is now rated at 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque with the 2.3-liter engine, running on premium fuel. If it’s just on regular grade (87 octane), that figure falls to 275 horsepower and 315 lb-ft of torque — closer to the old 270/310 figures originally estimated.
But what about the larger, 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6? That gets a bump to 330 horsepower and 415 lb-ft of torque, up from 310/400. Again, that’s on premium fuel. Drop to regular grade, and Ford’s estimated figure goes down to 315 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. The good news is there that you can run on less expensive 87 octane without too much of a performance penalty with the larger engine, at least according to Ford’s figures. From what we can see, the Bronco’s engine in this state of tune also produces a bit more grunt than the larger F-150 equipped with the same engine.
Honestly, while the added torque will mean a quicker rig on the highway and could play to your advantage in some off-road situations, that punchy 2.3-liter EcoBoost is hard to ignore. Not only for its own respectable figures, but the fact that you can spec it with a 7-speed Getrag manual transmission. The extra crawler gear means a massive 94.75:1 crawl ratio, so that’s most definitely the way I’d go were I to get a new Bronco.
This article is also posted on TFLoffroad.com.
