Ford Introduces Heritage Editions of Bronco and Bronco Sport

An inherent advantage to being a century-old company is having a deep well of history from which to draw – for better or worse. While some parts of Blue Oval corporate lore will likely never again see the light of day (what’s the over/under on a Pinto revival?), wide swaths of retro are ripe for exploitation a second go.

If one thinks the Bronco has already tweaked a twinge of years past, then these Heritage Editions are sure to crank the nostalgia meter to 11.

For 2023, the entire Bronco family will earn Heritage Edition and Heritage Limited Edition trims. These take full advantage of memory banks which are filled with white-topped Bronco 4x4s and plaid cloth seats. 

Heritage trims start with a Big Bend package powered by the four-banger, rated at 300 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque, and have the option of a manual or automatic transmission. Sasquatch gear provides 35-inch tires and two locking diffs plus long-travel Bilstein dampers. You’ve all noticed the two-tone paint job with Oxford White accents by now, including a white grille with a red “FORD” billboard. So much for the Braptor having a lock on that design mark. Those wheels might look retro but are modern 17-inch aluminums painted white. Inside the Heritage, look for plaid cloth seats and a white instrument panel. We thank the styling gods that interesting seat textures are making a return.

Tacking a ‘Limited’ suffix onto the trim upgrades its engine to a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6 (330 hp/410 lb-ft) which is an automatic-only proposition as many of you know. Ford starts with a higher trim Badlands here before smattering on some metal ‘Bronco’ badges in old-school script and fitting some different interior trappings. In a twist of actually meaning what they say, Ford will build only 1,966 units of each Heritage Limited Edition model. This too-clever marketing number is meant to commemorate the year the original Bronco debuted.

If these shades of paint aren’t yer thing, know that Ford will slowly roll out various hues throughout the model year depending on model. Bronco Heritage Edition will have a quintet of colors, for example, while the Heritage Limited will launch in that Robin’s Egg Blue which will eventually give way to a Peak Blue in 2024. That seemingly throwaway sentence buried in the bumf confirms that while some colors may be a one-shot deal, Ford plans to build Heritage Editions next year as well.

There will also be Bronco Sport variants of these themes, with the Heritage getting the smaller engine and the Heritage Limited being fitted with a larger mill (1.5L vs 2.0L, respectively). Their various and sundry styling tweaks mimic the big brother but it is worth noting the Heritage Limited gets larger 29-inch all-terrain off-road tires with more aggressive treads which stretch onto the sidewalls for improved off-road traction (and, be honest, better looks).

The 2023 Bronco Sport Heritage and Heritage Limited are available to order right now while full-size Bronco two- and four-door models will go on sale later this year. As you’ve guessed, initial orders are prioritized for current Bronco order holders awaiting their vehicle. Orders will open to all customers next year, regardless of current reservation status.

[Images: Ford]

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