2025 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks Sasquatch: Three Quick Takes

You can believe in the Sasquatch. It’s a good time for trail seekers.

What Is The 2025 Ford Bronco Sport Outer Banks Sasquatch?

The Sasquatch joined the Bronco Sport lineup for 2025, giving Ford’s small crossover a bit more capability, sort of like what Jeep has done over the years with various Cherokee models. My test model had 17-inch black aluminum wheels wrapped in knobby all-terrain tires, a brush guard, a roof rack, rescue hooks, and high clearance fender archers. Throw on the Velocity Blue Metallic paint, the blacked-out grille, and LED headlights, and you’ve got an attention-getter, even in Metro Detroit, where Bronco Sports are ubiquitous.

It’s more than just a looker. The Sasquatch has a twin-clutch unit with a locking rear differential that varies torque between the rear wheels to improve traction; a Hoss off-road suspension, Ford’s Trail Control feature, and skid plates.

The Bronco’s Goes Over Any Type of Terrain (G.O.A.T.) system is bolstered with a Rally mode for better performance in sand and high speed. Believe it or not, you can actually do one-pedal driving in Bronco Sports. Lift off the accelerator on the trail, and the system brakes for you. Pretty neat.

Way back, I went to a preview of the Bronco Sport in the late teens, and I was skeptical it would ever be more than a grocery hauler. But with its boxy shape and now enhanced level of off-road chops, it feels like a real Bronco family member – more than I ever thought it would.

How Does The Bronco Sport Outer Banks Sasquatch Drive?

The turbocharged 1.5-liter four-cylinder is surprisingly spunky, with 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, the latter of which comes on at 3,000 rpm (You can also get the Sasquatch on the Badlands model with the 2.0-liter four). Paired with an eight-speed automatic gearbox and all-wheel drive, it’s an enjoyable powertrain in a segment filled with boring fours.

The steering has more weight than I expected, partially thanks to those big off-road tires. I was surprised at how nimble the Bronco Sport could be, with a tight turning radius that made parking easy. Thanks to the boxy silhouette, there’s plenty of headroom. In the cargo area, it’s less than great.

There’s not much room for larger objects. It filled quickly with the week’s grocery run, and it couldn’t fit a bag of golf clubs without putting down seats. The Escape actually has more cargo volume.

Should I Get The Bronco Sport Outer Banks Sasquatch?

Sure. It’s fun. It certainly looks the part, though it's a bit cartoonish with the brush guard and a Sasquatch graphic featuring Big Foot himself strolling across the top of the rear fender. It’s an OK value at a $45.5K. I’d take the larger Honda Passport Trailsport over this Bronco Sport (for a few thousand dollars more), or as is the case with all crossovers dressed as off-road rigs, I would look at an entry-level big Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, or perhaps a Toyota Tacoma.

Subaru’s Forester and Outback Wilderness variants are also in the conversation, though Ford’s willingness to offer packages like the Sasquatch gives it an edge.

That said, Ford did give the Bronco Sport Outer Banks Sasquatch some real off-road running gear, and its relatively diminutive size means it could fit in some tight spots on challenging trails. Bigger and more powerful doesn’t help you much deep in the wilderness, and in that sense, the Bronco Sport is a smart tool.

I still think killing the Escape is a mistake, though the Focus’s earlier death made more sense given that it wasn’t super competitive at that point. With the Maverick, Bronco Sport, and apparently a forthcoming small electric truck, Ford is covered in this segment, and more creatively than most.

Does the world need another crossover dressed as an off-roader? I think so. The Bronco Sport may trade off its big brother’s rep, but Sasquatch – great name by the way – delivers a substantial offering for trailseekers. Like I said, it is pretty fun.

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