Enthusiasts complained, and Ford listened.
Literally hours after Ford dropped their game-changing, all-new 2021 Ford Bronco to the world, enthusiasts and nit-pickers alike noticed a glaring problem, the soon-to-be most popular Sasquatch package only came with a 10-speed automatic That was a combination of off-road value and a control-hampering transmission that made little sense. Off-roaders want meaty tires and all the control.
After much hemming and hawing, road testing, and finalizing, Ford officially announced today (Sept 21,2020) that they are adding the 7-speed manual to the Sasquatch package.
Check out their press release linked here and here’s the official word from Ford’s PR spokesperson himself below.
“The Bronco community spoke and we heard them,” said Mark Grueber, Ford Bronco consumer marketing manager. “Our team moved quickly to add Sasquatch with a manual transmission – another example of our focus on giving customers the best possible off-road vehicles and accessories that we can.”
To reiterate, checking the Sasquatch box on even the base model adds
- 35-inch Goodyear® mud-terrain tires mounted to 17-inch beadlock-capable wheels
- Dana front and rear electronic locking axles with 4.7:1 final drive ratio
- High-clearance suspension with a nearly two-inch wider track, position-sensitive Bilstein shocks and wider fender flares.
Adding a 7-speed manual transmission means the Bronco is the first in its class to offer that many gears to row and 35-inch tires from the factory.
Just a few days ago, several media outlets already spotted the Bronco testing what sounds like a manual with the Sasquatch package’s 35-inch tires.
While you can pre-order a Bronco today, options, like the Sasquatch package, are finalized when you confirm your factory order.
The manual transmission with Sasquatch package is targeted to be available in late 2021.
And if you ACTUALLY wanted a 10-speed automatic, that’s obviously still on the table with the Sasquatch package and probably will be the most popular choice when optioning out said package. All the off-road looks without all the manual shifting.
Well, enthusiasts, you complained to high-heavens, and Ford answered. Now, you have to do the hard part, actually putting your money where your mouth is!
