Yes, we have technically seen the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport in the sheet metal already thanks to some earlier leaked images. While those leant a lot of perspective into what the production model will look like, the shots only showed the car from a few angles, and those shots left out the crisper details. These new ones, on the other hand, come from our spy photographers, who were able to get a clearer look (minus the camouflage) at Ford’s upcoming Jeep Renegade fighter.
Up front, the LED headlights and running lights dominate the car’s fascia. Like what we’ve seen from its bigger brother, the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport has DRLs that point directly toward the center of the grille. You can’t see it here with the camouflage, but there should be a “BRONCO” font across the grille. Smaller LED fog lights flank the upper headlight assemblies, and the recovery hooks on the front speak well to this car’s supposed off-road ability, as does its ground cleraance.
On that front, Ford naturally hasn’t posted any numbers pertaining to the Bronco Sport just yet. However, in an earlier post I pointed out that it should be somewhere around the 8.7 inch mark. We don’t know that with any degree of certainty, but that’s where it needs to be to compete against the Jeep Renegade Trailhawk, and indeed other adventure crossovers like the Subaru Crosstrek.
Powertrains are another mystery, although it wouldn’t be outside Ford’s wheelhouse to offer at least two different engine choices. That’s what they’ve done with the new Escape upon which the Bronco Sport is based, with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost on the entry-level end, and a 2.0-liter unit on top-end models. Fortunately, some new information did shed some light on what trim levels we can expect to see.
Big Bend, Outer Banks and Badlands, Oh My
At the back, we know from the earlier pictures the “Bronco Sport” and Blue Oval logos will be on the tailgate. Whether the reported trim levels for hte four-wheel drive models: base, Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands, and First Edition will be as well remains to be seen. Ford isn’t following convention with the naming scheme itself, so the trim level badge may end up on the door or elsewhere on the car, at least with the Badlands version.
Check out more on what we know so far in the post below:
Despite recent ongoing events, we should see the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport by mid-2020. That may well be delayed into the fall or later, but seeing these cars out testing is an encouraging sign that we’ll see the Bronco and it’s baby brother soon.
This is a developing post. More details and a video are coming soon!
The novel coronavirus pandemic continues to grip the U.S., while automakers have pulled back their previous financial forecasts and bolstered their cash reserves to weather the sudden shock the industry’s currently facing. Now, as companies like General Motors and Ford idle their car production through at least the end of March, both companies are lending their manufacturing and design capacity to help prevent the virus from spreading any faster.
Today, Ford announced it is working with GE Healthcare and 3M to aid medical workers. One of the main concerns lies with the ongoing availability of critical supplies, including ventilators and face shields, both of which can keep healthcare personnel from getting sick. Dubbed “Project Apollo”, Ford executives said the company plans to use the tools at its disposal to provide equipment to doctors and nurses this week. Executive chairman Bill Ford said of the initiative, “We were the arsenal of democracy during two world worlds. We built lungs for polio patients. Whenever we’re called on, we’re there.”
To that end, Ford said it would be able to produce 1,000 respirators per month. The company also plans to produce 100,000 face shields per week, using 3D-printed parts and things like fans from the F-150’s ventilated seats and portable tool battery packs to produce ventilators.
CEO Jim Hackett spoke on CBS This Morning discussing the company’s ventilator production. In addition to the partnership with 3M, Ford’s part in helping GE Healthcare is to build even more ventilator’s using a derivative of GE’s design. That way, the company says they can produce equipment at a GE facility and Ford’s own manufacturing plants. The company plans to ramp up production between now and June 2020.
GM also joins the effort
On Monday, GM announced a partnership with Ventec Life Systems, also to produce respiratory care products. Ventec will have access to GM’s supply lines to build more critical ventilators, again to ship out to healthcare facilities that are increasingly strained by coronavirus cases. CEO Mary Barra said of the development, “We are working closely with Ventec to rapidly scale up production of their critically important respiratory products to support our country’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. We will continue to explore ways to help in this time of crisis.”
As of March 23, 2020, more than 46,000 coronavirus cases have been confirmed in the U.S. World Health Organization officials noted the country is seeing a “large acceleration” in viral infections, and several states have issued stay at home or “shelter-in-place” orders to slow the spread. By practicing social isolation, governments hope to avert further crisis by overburdening a healthcare system that’s already seeing intense pressure under the current wave of COVID-19.
Editor’s note: While we strive to bring you the ongoing developments, we’d also like to urge people to practice social distancing, where possible to stay healthy. For our part, we’ll continue to report on the news and produce solid video content as we can, and we hope you’ll stay with us through this tough time. We’ll all get through this together — thank you all for your support!
The new Honda Insight just hit the scene to take on its small hybrid rivals less than two years ago, so this model doesn’t carry too many updates. Honda just announced pricing for the 2021 model, set to hit dealers tomorrow, March 24.
In that, the 2021 Honda Insight starts at the same price as the outgoing 2020 models. $23,885 nets you a base LX version that still has the Honda Sensing safety suite, earning the car a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). However, the EX and Touring trims do get a $500 price hike to accommodate both blind spot information and Cross-Traffic Monitor systems as standard equipment on those trims.
2021 Honda Insight
The 2021 Honda Insight EX starts at $25,765 including Honda’s $955 destination fee. The Touring starts at $29,795. All trim levels come standard with LED headlights, push-button start, and Honda’s 8-inch Display Audio infotainment system.
Radiant Red Metallic also joins the available colors, as shown in the photo above. On the efficiency front, the 2021 Honda Insight should make the same figures as we’ve seen before. The LX and EX models manage 55 City / 49 Highway / 52 Combined mpg. The fully-loaded Touring, on the other hand, achieves 51 City / 45 Highway / 48 Combined mpg thanks to the extra amenities.
The big news around the new 2020 Range Rover Sport PHEV is that, for a little while, it may be the world’s first off-road EV. That’s due to the SUV’s 13.1 Kwh battery with a claimed range of 19 miles in pure electric mode.
Roman and Tommy take it high into the Rockies to see if it is. And as a comparison, they bring along TFL’s 2006 Land Rover LR3, “Rhino.” The test: mud, sand, rock, snow, ice.
Range Rover Sport Plug-in
Engine: The battery powers a 141 hp electric motor that partners with a 2-liter, 296-hp 4-cylinder turbo to produce a combined max power output of 398-hp. Not bad. At peak efficiency, starting with a fully-charged battery, the Range Rover claims 42 MPGe, an astonishing number for any Land Rover/Range Rover product. However, with no battery assist, fuel efficiency drops to 19 MPG, worse than many full-sized pickups today.
Charging is via a Level 1 (normal household outlet) or a Level 2 (240v household outlet) charger. A Level 2 charge should take the battery from empty to full charge in a little over 3 hours.
Drivetrain: This is where Land Rovers and Range Rovers shine and their new PHEV is no exception. A low-range transfer case, automatic center and rear lockers, adjustable air suspension, and terrain management system turn off-roading into a nearly mindless pursuit.
Off-road EV? mmm, no.
Despite our best efforts, the Range Rover wouldn’t allow us to stay in full EV mode when the trail turned gnarly. When requiring full torque, the engine kicks in to move the SUV. A big reason: The 4-LO transfer case is unavailable when in EV mode, which severely limits the Range Rover’s ability to crawl over rocks or stress the transmission.
But once we stopped trying to drive the first off-road EV, you know, off road, the British make’s heritage as a go-anywhere vehicle shined. While Land Rover may still be a couple of generations away from nailing the EV/hybrid combo, they do know how to marry luxury and off-road capability better than most anyone. We have two caveat though: The new Range Rover’s infotaiment touchscreen system is a hot mess to figure out and use; and at slow speeds the transition between electric power to gas and back is not what we would call elegant.
One Fix to Make the Range Rover Sport Better
In our book, a simple fix to make this SUV better would be to swap out the 21-inch rims and street-minded all-season tires for smaller rims and beefier off-road specific tires with a wider sidewall that we could then air down. This would smoothen out the ride as it does with the older LR3 and allow the tire to get more grip over obstacles and terrain. Who knows, maybe a change in wheel/tire strategy could make this into an EV off-roader.
Right now, the wheel/tire set up is holding this otherwise stellar Range Rover back from the glory that its much older sibling, the LR3 below, handles with ease.
By Comparison: 2006 Land Rover LR3
Rhino is nearly 15 years old. It cost us $6,000 versus the $93,000 sticker on the Range Rover. But underneath the leather and sheet metal lie very similar trucks. Both Rhino and the new Range Rover ride on adjustable independent air suspension for boosting ground clearance in terms of inches. Both feature 4-LO transfer cases. And for $87,000 less our LR3 can go beyond anything we dare take this new Range Rover. To see for yourself, check out the video below.
As we march from one week to the next, we’re getting ever closer to the upcoming launch of the new Ford Bronco and it’s baby brother, the all-new Bronco Sport. Some revealing photos showing both models leaked earlier this month, but today we have yet another shot of the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport.
Admittedly, it’s not the best quality shot in the world, but this comes to us via the Bronco Sport Forum, and it does reaffirm everything we saw from the previous spy photos. One interesting bit of perspective here is the Bronco Sport parked next to the Explorer, so we get some form of size comparison between the two.
From this angle, at least, the “Baby Bronco” looks about the same height as the Explorer thanks to its boxy design. As you’d expect, it is shorter and narrower than its larger crossover cousin. It does share its platform with the Escape, so seeing it here does suggest they’ll occupy a similar footprint, give or take a few inches here or there in terms of the actual bodywork.
As far as an apples-to-apples comparison is concerned, Ford is taking direct aim at the Jeep Renegade in the small SUV space. I’d expect the new Bronco Sport to carry similar dimensions to its rival. If that is indeed the case, here’s how it may shake out by the numbers based on the Renegade’s dimensions:
Here’s how the Bronco Sport and Jeep Renegade look side-by-side.
Jeep Renegade dimensions:
Wheelbase: 101.2 inches
Front and rear track: 60.6 inches
Width: 79.6 inches
Length: 166.6 inches
Height: 66.5 inches
Approach angle (Trailhawk): 30.5 degrees
Breakover angle (Trailhawk): 25.7 degrees
Departure angle: (Trailhawk): 34.3 degrees
Ground clearance: 8.7 inches
Naturally, we don’t expect a complete carbon copy here. However, the Bronco Sport does aim to be an off-road SUV, so numbers anywhere in the Renegade’s ballpark will make the competition much more interesting.
What do you think of the upcoming Bronco Sport so far? Let us know in the comments!
You know, some of the greatest things in human history came from people who dared to think outside the box. People who pushed the envelope. Inventive minds who didn’t let convention get in the way of creating something outlandish and wonderful. Car-based trucks may or may not fall in that wheelhouse depending on how you slice it, but you’ve got to hand it to designer Adel Bouras’ efforts on Behance: this one’s definitely out there.
Meet the Porsche Traykan — what would come about if, in a stir-crazy stupor brought on by certain world events, Porsche designers and executives decided to actually create a Taycan-based pickup truck. In fairness, the Taycan itself was a huge departure for the Stuttgart-based sports car maker, being its first all-electric model with Tesla dead in its sights. For a company whose bread and butter lies with evolutionary design, a pure EV sports car has been nothing short of radical. That said, it’s more or less laughable that any German automaker, let alone Porsche, would go this far.
The idea isn’t (quite) as crazy as it might sound
Remember the Truckla? That was an inventive creation by Simone Giertz, who dared to actually build a truck out of a Tesla Model 3 because Tesla was taking too damn long to build its own pickup truck. With the actual Cybertruck now imminent (at least within the next two years) and contenders like Rivian coming into play, maybe it takes some creative designers to compel the German automakers to actually jump in on an electric pickup. You never know.
As for Bouras’ design, you can still see some of the original car in the Traykan, but not much. The headlights are connected by a light bat at the front, and that line pretty much works its way throughout the whole body to the rear. The hood and the bodywork up to the B-pillar are pretty Taycan-ish, but that’s where most of the similarities end.
The massive wheels are a nice touch, but those are just a distraction! See, this Traykan doesn’t have to play by the Taycan’s rules, as we can tell from those two massive exhaust outlets at the back. Sure, you could make it all electric, but it seems like this truck could also make use of an internal combustion engine as well. Actually, on a practical note, going more of a hybrid route for a car-based pickup would help with payload, even if we’re just talking about stylistic flair here.
Jacked up ride height or not, obviously the Traykan is just a flight of fancy. That said, will EVs usher in a new age for performance electric pickups? Volkswagen Group does make the Amarok and they’re pushing hard toward EVs in the coming years. With performance marques like Audi, Porsche and even Lamborghini under their wing, we may see something along the lines of a performance truck (again, almost definitely not this) at some point in the future.
Crazy idea, you say? Maybe, but we were all saying that about a Lamborghini SUV some years back, and look how that turned out.
H/T to Adel Bouras for the interesting design, and to CarScoops for coming across this work.
Could this be what the proposed 2022 GMC Jimmy off-road SUV looks like? Rendering: AutoWise
In this week’s Ask Nathan:
Is the 2022 GMC Jimmy a real truck?
Nice Nissan Altima video Nathan….
What’s going on with videos during the COVID 19 crisis?
The first question comes from a NathanAdlen@Twitter question, asking about a possible 2022 GMC Jimmy based on the midsize truck platform.
Q: (Via NathanAdlen@Twitter) Let’s face it, the Chevy Blazer and Trilablazer are complete failures compared with the Bronco and Bronco Sport.
I hear that there might be a truck-based 2022 GMC Jimmy. Would that even happen? Would it be another crossover?
BlueLou62
A: Mayyyybbbbeeeee…
You’re right, GM fans are not amused that Ford is offering a dirt-worthy Bronco and Bronco Sport while Chevrolet… isn’t. The Blazer and Trailblazer are decent crossovers, but neither has any intention of being off-road-capable. I’m sure that, by now, GM hears the complaints.
The possibility of a 2022 GMC Jimmy was reported by both Car and Driver and the official UAW Local 2250 website. Nothing is “official” about the 2022 GMC Jimmy and we don’t expect to hear much until after the launch of the upcoming GMC Hummer.
It is speculated that there could be an SUV based on the Colorado/Canyon platform and running gear. That could include the 2.8L Duramax, and Multimatic Dynamic Suspensions Spool Valve (DSSVTM) suspension
If this is the case, it bodes well for folks who want a (potentially) serious off-road SUV to challenge Ford and Jeep; Especially when you figure in all of the solid off-road ability of the Chevrolet Colorado ZR2.
If this does happen, we’ll be on top of it – promise!
N
The next question/statements comes from a video I did with the 2020 Nissan Altima
Q: (Statements and questions) Nice (Nissan) ad – – Dilpreet Sandhu
Nissan must have paid you guys to talk good about that junk – – Mr. Bull
Why doesn’t TFL ever address the unreliability of these cars especially with CVTs? – Why not give a honest review? – – Paul S
Sponsored by Nissan. I’ve seen a lot of Nissan Titan and now this. This channel is ready to go downhill. – – Niranjan Reddy.
This is the 2020 Nissan Altima AWD I drove on a snow course. It did very well. (Image TFLcar)
A: Just because you don’t like the car or hear bad things about it – doesn’t make me wrong.
I know, many people feel that if you compliment one car, you’re putting down another. That’s not what I do.
In the video, I point out the highlights of the 2020 Nissan Altima AWD. I drove a few before and I stand by the fact that it’s a damn good car. I mainly point out its excellent seating comfort and good pricing.
The This Just In! segment is about what the vehicle is, what it has and what we’re going to do with it. Simple. It’s about what some people hate about it. We do that with EVERY car on This Just In!
Do you want me to say, “Well, people hate them and so do I?” Or, how about, “If you buy one of these, you’re a sucker – just like that other YouTube guy says all the time.” Simply don’t watch if you want that kind of rhetoric.
Come on. We are talking about the features of this vehicle, not hearsay. Other detailed reviews that we do along with countless studio specials cover more in depth information about the vehicle or the automaker.
The bottom line is: I stand by what I said. It’s a comfortable, easy to drive commuter that has a lot of features (including AWD) for the buck.
N
The last question comes from a fan who wants to know what’s going on with videos during the COVID-19 crisis.
Q: Hi Nathan. I hope the TFL crew is safe during this COVID- 19 crisis!
I am home with my sister and my mother with no work coming my way. My jobs working with the elderly and in preschool are completely shut down for at least a month and I will be home online for quite some time.
I don’t know if you remember, but I was the one who asked you about van life and my plan to escape one day. Thank you for answering my question! Well, now those savings will have to go to living at home for a while. I hope there will still be money in the piggy bank when this is all over!
I hope you are all staying safe. But tell me what you’re doing with videos during this crisis? Are you stopping or slowing down? I hope not.
Please let the boys know I will pray for them and for you big guy!
Sincerely,
Ruth B
Lubbock, TX
A: Hi Ruth!
I am glad to hear you’re safe during these difficult times. Rest assured, our team is taking every precaution to maintaining a safe social distance, staying clean and staying safe.
Our workload is the same, in fact – it has expanded a bit. We meet and setup all of our planning online and have virtual meetings daily. While we are avoiding press launches and car-shows, we are adding a ton of new programming to our schedule.
We will maintain our old shows, reviews and adventures while adding new ones. We have two new podcasts, one for our car channel and one for our truck channel. There will be new shows coming up on all of our channels in the next few days and we have special events happening in the next few weeks.
All of us want to make your time at home as entertaining as possible. We want to help in the only way we know how, by giving you as much enjoyable content as we can.
Stay tuned for LOTS on new and exciting videos AND online posts!
Please stay safe!
N
Speaking of the new video content – check out our new TFL Talking Cars podcast!
I’m so bored, you guys. The logical part of me understands why it’s a good idea to stay home for the time being. That said, cabin fever has a nasty habit of creeping in after awhile, and we all need to find something to pass the time. Escapism normally involves thumbing classified ads for neat and interesting cars, and Bring a Trailer can be a rich vein to scratch that particular itch. So, in the interest of sparking some conversation on this fine Saturday morning, here are five examples I came across perusing the site — let us know what cool cars and trucks you’ve discovered in the comments below!
5) 1975 Ford Bronco Denver Broncos Edition
The first one is what you see above: a white-and-orange-themed first-generation Ford Bronco. This particular Bronco was a dealer special, and one of 214 marketed by a local dealership in Golden, Colorado. According to the listing, it moved to Texas before the current seller brought it to South Carolina in 2019. This old-school Bronco has a 302 cubic-inch V8 under the hood, mated to a three-speed transmission and two-speed transfer case. It also comes with a 3-inch lift, BFGoodrich Mud Terrains, a fiberglass hood and door inserts, aftermarket bumpers, leather bucket seats and a six-point roll cage, among other enticing mods.
Apart from the special edition playing on the Denver Broncos, I can’t help but do a double-take every time I see an original Ford Bronco rolling down the road. I’m as excited as anyone to see Ford bring it back here in the next few weeks. However, these older generations — particularly this one, where the Bronco looked totally bespoke — are just the business, and something I’d honestly take over a Jeep CJ-5, though I’m sure Tommy would disagree with me on that one.
At any rate, I know we’d reach a compromise on loving the International Harvester Scout, but at $19,500 (as of March 20) this Bronco is a bit of a bargain, as they can go over double that price. This one’s been used, but I still think it’s awesome.
4) 1993 Subaru Sambar 5-speed
Our friends over at Autoblog spotted this quirky Japanese Kei-class van up for sale in Concord, North Carolina. James Riswick said of this van, “We need something to make us smile, so allow me to present a tiny morsel of happiness that is this 1993 Subaru Sambar Dias van currently up for auction on Bring a Trailer.” Now, you may look at this tiny box on wheels and think, “What on Earth is that thing?” But even if you think it’s ridiculous, I can’t help but crack a smile when I see someone driving one of these things around.
The listing doesn’t say much about this Sambar’s history, other than showing an export certificate showing it was brought over from Japan just seven months ago. It has a 660cc engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission (score!), and it’s rear-wheel drive. Never mind the fact that the power is going to miniscule 12-inch wheels, and the 140 km/h (87 mph) speedometer is a bit, well, optimistic. It’s quirky, it’s cute, and it’s not terribly expensive if you want a fun conversation piece.
3) 2002 Honda S2000
As TFL’s resident Mazda freak, I love me some MX-5 Miata. But I also acknowledge the fact that, as a big 6-foot-tall guy, I look utterly ridiculous every time I drive one. That’s where the Honda S2000 comes in for me. The styling is a bit more my speed, and the slightly higher-raked windshield means it’s a couple inches taller, so I don’t struggle to fit in it. Under the hood, you get a screaming 2.0-liter VTEC engine paired (exclusively, mind you) to a six-speed manual transmission. As it should be.
This particular 2002 example is finished in Suzuka Blue Metallic, and was sold new in North Hollywood, California. From there, it moved to British Columbia, Canada before repatriating at a dealer just over the border in Blaine, Washington. Sure, you don’t get all the modern toys the MX-5 has to offer, but you still get more power thanks to that VTEC unit. Not only that, but you get a front-engined, rear-wheel drive roadster that retains its value, and this one has just under 51,000 miles. Since it’s a Honda, that sort of mileage is barely past its break-in period.
2) 2014 Chevrolet SS
I’ve long said the Chevy SS is an underrated muscle sedan, and I’ll reiterate that point here. This LS3 V8-powered, 415 horsepower four-door sedan is a rebadged version of the Australian Holden Commodore, and is just the latest version of that concept that extended back through the deceased Pontiac G8 and GTO. Sadly, the SS wasn’t a hot seller, and GM killed it off in 2017. This one has just under 37,000 miles on the clock and is up for sale in Pennsylvania.
Despite every car so far having a manual transmission, this one instead has a six-speed automatic. Yes, you can get it with a six-speed manual transmission. The reason this SS caught my eye at the moment, however, is price. This car has a really annoying habit of holding their value, with 90,000+ miles examples commanding $25,000 or more. And those are with automatic transmissions, so finding a manual is even more of a diamond in the rough challenge. As V8-powered sedans go, I’d still prefer this as a stealth cruiser, automatic and all, over say, a Dodge Charger.
I’m sure it will go past its $15,000 bid (the auction’s up until March 24), but if you can snag it under $20,000 or so, that’s still a good deal.
1) 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer
Finally, I came across this clean-looking classic for sale in Phoenix, Arizona. This particular 1991 Jeep Grand Wagoneer was 126,000 miles on the clock, as well as a 360 cubic-inch V8 engine and three-speed automatic transmission. This truck was originally silver, but someone painted it metallic blue in 2018. Despite that, a cursory look at the pictures make it seem like it was fairly well done, and more importantly to me the paneling and interior look to be in great shape.
There are a couple accidents on the record, which is probably why this one’s only at $4,200 at time of writing. Of course, I’d always want to see complete service records and ensure the accidents were properly repaired before actually pulling the trigger on something like this. Still, this is to my mind one of the coolest classic SUVs around, and not just because it had a stint on Breaking Bad.
Please do let me know what some of your favorite cars and trucks are (and wherever you find them) below! We’re all in this together, so we may as well do what we do best and geek out about our favorite modern and classic cars.
Roman just bought one of the most hated modern Land Rovers to prove a point: Even this SUV doesn't suck! Or maybe it does...that's what we're going to find out in our latest project series.
According to a White House announcement Tuesday, President Trump will sign a new executive order aimed at easing the impact of automotive-related tariffs.
