2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures, Images, Redesign – Growing up in rural Newfoundland, it wasn’t uncommon for several people to have the same first name despite a population that totalled less than a single condo building on Toronto’s Yonge Street. My own grandfather, a gentle soul who was a brickhouse of a fisherman with hands the size and hardness of frying pans, was Ralph. His cousin, who lived close by, bore the same name.
This led to the latter being known as Young Ralph, even well into old age. The spectre of a senior citizen being called young anything still amuses me to this day. Ford has created a similar situation with its reborn Bronco line. The machine you see here is the 2026 Ford Bronco Sport, which has about as much in common with the remove-the-roof-and-doors big Bronco as I do with Australian parliamentarian Matthew Guy. 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures
2026 Ford Bronco Sport Redesign and Update Plan
Exterior and Interior
Front-row accommodations were ample for this 6-foot-6 human, even with the optional sunroof. The seating upholstery in this Big Bend trim is similar to that of the more expensive Badlands, which is to say the material is simultaneously rugged, comfortable, and easy-to-clean. It should hold its own against an active (or family) lifestyle. 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures
As for families, you’ll want to take yours along when test driving Bronco Sport. Legroom for rear-seat passengers can be pinched, especially if those up front are long of limb, which is why points are docked in this category. There are no complaints about headroom back there, as the rig’s stepped roof (hidden on the outside by a pair of straight roof rails) provides abundant vertical space. There’s even a pair of pockets on the sides of the front seats for smartphones, though there are no charging ports in the back.
2026 Ford Bronco Sport Specs
Expected features in this class such as keyless entry, remote start, heated front seats, and an array of power points are all present and accounted for in the Big Bend trim of Bronco Sport. Confusingly, one can also spec a Big Bend package for $1,300, adding a sunroof and wireless charging pad plus a reverse sensing system. Dual climate controls are a notable omission in this price bracket.
Engine and Performance
The Bronco Sport Big Bend is powered by a turbocharged 1.5.L engine making 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque. This amount of grunt is on par for the segment, pushing the trucklet around town and to highway speeds with relative ease. What isn’t par for the course are the three cylinders the engine runs on in a segment where most of its competitors have four pots – though a four-cylinder is standard in the top trim (and autoTRADER.ca has a separate review of that trim on its way).
Three-cylinder engines are inherently unbalanced (thanks, physics), so the Bronco Sport does exhibit some vibration and harshness, especially right after start-up. That goes double on Atlantic Canadian mornings where temperatures touched −20°C. However, Ford has done a good job of smoothing out the cacophony once it’s up to operating temperature, and I doubt I even would have noticed this rude behaviour in summertime. 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures
2026 Ford Bronco Sport Fuel Economy
Despite running a very green engine – and by that I mean new; this tester had just 350 km on the clock when I picked it up – fuel economy was staggeringly good. Only 51 L of regular was required to top off the tank after 625 km of driving, equating to 8.2 L/100 km over an even mix of city and highway driving on winter tires. What the inline-three lacks in initial cold morning smoothness it apparently makes up for at the pump. If this engine gets more efficient as it loosens up (and traditionally, most engines do) fuel costs will be exceedingly low – impressive for this little four-wheel-drive sport utility. 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures
2026 Ford Bronco Sport Safety Features
It is irksome that Ford’s adaptive cruise control system is an $850 option, since the feature’s lane-centring and evasive steering assist work well in most situations. It’s most and not all, though, since the system tends to act a bit paranoid in traffic despite all of the tools being placed in their least sensitive settings. 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures
2026 Ford Bronco Sport Price and Release Date
When equipped with similar features and drivetrain, the Bronco Sport costs about $2,000 more than the Escape upon which it is heavily based. Whether that premium is worth the higher monthly payment is largely a matter of personal taste. I wouldn’t hesitate to select the Bronco Sport, as it ditches the Escape’s suppository-inspired styling cues and incorporates a yaffle of practical touches like the rubber cargo floor and silicone-sealed switchgear. Pricing also lines up well compared to its direct competitors like the Jeep Compass and Cherokee. 2026 Ford Bronco Sport Pictures