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Sasquatch packages can be fitted on the Outer Banks or Badlands models
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Sasquatches add Bilstein shocks, all-terrain tires, skid plates, and other off-road accessories
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Every 2025 Bronco Sport comes with a 12.3-inch instrument cluster and a 13.2-inch touchscreen
To mythologists, the Sasquatch is a large bi-pedal primate lurking in North American forests. To Ford, the Sasquatch is an off-road package meant to track down or become this legend, through dell and dale. This year, the package migrates from the big-footed Bronco into the smaller track of the 2025 Bronco Sport.
It’s not a like-for-like upgrade between the two distinctly different models, but it’s a similar approach. Both have 17-inch carbonized alloy wheels, but 29-inch Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tires (235/65/R17) fill the Bronco Sport’s smaller wells. With similarly reinforced sidewalls and open treads as the 35-inch Goodyear Territory Mud Terrains on the Bronco, the Bronco Sport Sasquatch mucked through muddy ruts deep in the shadowy forest of Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.
In a brief, curated test drive of pre-production Badlands models in Ford’s latest and fifth Bronco Off-Roadeo location outside of Knoxville, the new Bronco Sport Sasquatch proved more capable than the 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness and more promising than what remains of Jeep’s compact crossover lineup, which is down to the Compass Trailhawk.
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
Ford slaps five steel skid plates under the body of the Bronco Sport Sasquatch, which sits 0.6 inches higher than the Bronco Sport Badlands to 8.8 inches. An accessory bar arcs from the front bash plate, two integrated tow hooks are bolted to the subframe, and the raised rear bumper has recovery D-rings that sit at knee level. Even with the Sasquatch’s standard tow hitch and the Badlands’ 2,700-pound towing capacity, the modular bumpers have an approach angle of up to 31.2 degrees (30.0 on Badlands without the Sasquatch package) and a departure angle of 27.9 degrees (26.7 standard on Badlands).
Without the benefit of rock rails, Ford had no problem showing off these slightly improved angles over a pile of rock. The Sasquatch steadied with three wheels down, and lifted its skirt to show the skid plates covering the engine, transmission, and fuel tank. The Bronco Sport’s skid plates on display were much heavier than the Toyota RAV4 TRD’s, and they made the plastic cover of the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness seem like a joke.
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
The Sasquatch scales either the Outer Banks model and its turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder or the Badlands and its 2.0-liter turbo-4. The turbo-3 still makes the same 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, and the 8-speed automatic sends power to all four wheels. Ford says improvements have been made to the tuning of the power transfer unit on all Bronco Sports. The turbo-4 still rates at 238 hp and 277 lb-ft with premium fuel.
The big change to the Sasquatch version of the turbo-4 is a larger cooling fan, from 650 watts to 850 watts, so the Badlands Sasquatch can run harder, faster, and longer at speed, likely in Rally mode. For the first time, the Outer Banks Sasquatch gets the Badlands’ twin-clutch rear-drive unit and locking rear differential to divert torque to either rear wheel.
MacPherson front struts remain, while Badlands Sasquatch improvements to the rear suspension include Bilstein shocks with three-position passive damping that promise to better absorb compression and rebound at higher speeds while still giving it crossover-like ride comfort on the road. We didn’t get to test out this promise.
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
The lark through the woods in the Badlands Sasquatch lasted about 12 minutes, enough to flick through the cool display graphics on the newly standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Badlands Sasquatch has seven modes to toggle through on the console selector, and the console’s now flanked by grab handles. The graphics change for each mode so you don’t have to rely on looking at the dial for each notch. It adds Rally and Rock Crawl to the Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Off-Road modes on other models.
With a cool pitch and roll meter and other key off-road graphics centered in the display, some of the smaller iconography can get lost. For instance, a new One-Pedal Drive mode that acts as a crawl control lets you just press the throttle to scale up or down a steep, slippery incline; let off the throttle and the brake holds the Bronco Sport, even on a tilt, without the driver pressing the brake. To know it’s on, there’s a little green icon in the bottom right of the display.
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
The locking rear differential light is similarly sized, illuminated in orange at the mid-left part of the display, opposite the stability control icon on the right side. You need to know what to look for, but it keeps it neat, and owners should get used to knowing where to look to see what’s active.
In Off-Road or Rally modes, an off-road camera system activates on the 13.2-inch touchscreen that’s now standard throughout the lineup. New angles let you see under the front axle, and even Bronco Sports without the Sasquatch package but with a surround-view camera system let you see down by the front wheels.
The hood still has twin peaks but lacks the corner sights of the larger Bronco. The ridges are enough to see where the hood ends, then anything left to chance can be verified by the camera system. Twin front fender tie-downs also pop out of each fender near the front doors. Each one can strap down 150 pounds on the roof and likely add more stability for longer roof items such as paddle boards and canoes. There are four auxiliary switches on the inside roof, too, to activate any of the many accessories offered by Ford, from driving lights to compressors.
If deep off-roading on the hunt for the Sasquatch isn’t your jam, a Black Diamond package on Big Bend models adds the look of the Sasquatch but without the Bilstiens or the rear locker.
The 2025 Bronco Sport goes on sale late in 2024 for $31,590 with a $1,595 destination, with Sasquatch packaged models to follow early in 2025. The Outer Banks Sasquatch costs $3,535 extra, but it must be bundled with the Tech package, bringing it to $5,230 extra. That adds up to $41,810 for the Outer Bands Sasquatch. The Badlands Sasquatch adds $2,990 to top the range at $44,580. Order banks open today. The Sasquatch is out there.
Ford paid for Motor Authority’s 3-hour sojourn into Sasquatch country.
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