2025 Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch First Drive: Just Enough Extra

• We get a very early drive of the new Ford Bronco Sport Sasquatch.
• A short rip around a muddy and rutty off-road course leaves a solid first impression.
• We'll wait until we get one in for full testing to pass final judgment.

First impressions matter, so how does Bigfoot fare?

If you want all the details on exactly what you get with the Sasquatch pack, check out the video above or click here to read our first look. Even though my tester was supposedly a rough-and-tumble prototype, the 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine felt just as refined as ever — probably because no significant mechanical changes were made compared to the old model. For 2025, emissions regulations rein in horsepower a bit, decreasing output from 250 hp to 238 hp, but it still pulls well and revs out smoothly, with an ample 277 lb-ft of torque providing low-end shove.

The Sasquatch's standard all-terrain Goodyear tires dug through the mud without issue, and despite getting crossed up and putting a wheel in the air more than a few times, the Bronco Sport never lacked traction. Not everything was so hunky-dory, though; the new position-sensitive Bilstein rear dampers weren't coping with the rough terrain as well as I'd have hoped. Simply put, the Bronco Sport's rear end never quite seemed to find its footing when I picked up speed — and neither did I, as the little SUV rattled and jostled me around quite significantly while driving over rough stuff.

Still, there were more highs than lows. The steering did a good job of telling me what the front tires were doing. When the going got sloppy and muddy, the steering relayed that well, and the same was true for when I was going fast over rough patches or through ruts. I also made good use of the handy off-road tech, like cameras that sit on the wing mirrors and are pointed at the front tires (just like the big Bronco). These cameras show you exactly how far your tires are pointed in either direction, which is super helpful when off-roading. You don't get that in a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.

Is the Sasquatch more than just a soft-roader?

The Bronco Sport Sasquatch isn't a car for the Iron Man Johnsons of the world. But it's very much an SUV for those who are curious about off-roading as a way of getting the heck outta town and haven't taken the plunge just yet. If the big Bronco is for folks who've already earned their bachelor's degree in Off-Roadology, the Bronco Sport Sasquatch is what you get as a learning tool for undergrad. We look forward to spending more time with the Sasquatch to see how it handles On-Road Driving 101, Edmunds Test Track 102 and Off-Road Video 201 — but that won't come until early 2025 when the Bronco Sport Sasquatch goes on sale.