Heritage Edition Bronco: A Horse of a Different Color

If you’re in the market for a Bronco or Bronco Sport, you might want to consider ordering one of the new 2023 Bronco and Bronco Sport Heritage or Heritage Limited editions.

Ford will produce 1,966 examples of each for the Bronco two-door, Bronco four-door, and Bronco Sport SUVs to honor the year the original Bronco made its debut.

“Bronco captivated America in the mid-’60s with its rugged style and uncompromising off-road agility, a legacy that is still prevalent today,” said Mark Grueber, Bronco marketing manager. “With these new Heritage and Heritage Limited editions, we’re paying respect to Bronco’s roots with nods to some of the signature design cues from the first-generation vehicle, while continuing to build the Bronco brand.”

A wardrobe from yesteryear 

Bronco Heritage models are distinguished by their two-tone paint that includes an Oxford White hardtop roof and grille with Race Red “FORD” lettering, 17-inch Oxford White aluminum heritage wheels and a bodyside stripe. Heritage models also receive retro squared fenders with wider fender flares that provide a 2-inch wider track. The special edition is fitted with gloss black 17-inch heritage wheels with dog dish centers for that added retro touch.

Climb inside and you’ll find Bronco’s Heritage Edition includes unique front and rear floor mats, an exclusive Oxford White instrument panel, plaid fabric seats and Big Bend equipment level, which is one step up from base, so you’ll get a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel, rear privacy glass, LED fog lights and a full-size spare.

Also included is a Terrain Management System with Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand G.O.A.T. (Go Over Any Terrain) Modes. An 8-inch digital instrument cluster, 8-inch capacitive touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, USB A & C plugs, and a six-speaker audio system come standard.

Power comes courtesy of a 2.3-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine that provides 300 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque through a standard 7-speed manual or optional 10-speed automatic transmission. The Sasquatch Package with a High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension (H.O.S.S.) 2.0 system is standard. It comes with long-travel Bilstein position-sensitive dampers with end-stop control valves and increased ride height, as well as 35-inch Goodyear mud-terrain tires and Dana front and rear electronic locking axles with 4.7:1 final drive ratio.

A buffer retro-style Bronco

Opting for the Heritage Limited Edition upgrades your retro ride to the Badlands series equipment and features, which adds an overhead console with map lights and auxiliary switches with pre-run accessory wires, MOLLE Strap System on the front seat backs, and rubberized flooring with drain plugs.

A larger 2.7-liter EcoBoost V-6 engine delivers 330 hp and 415 lb-ft torque to a 10-speed automatic transmission. And since it’s a Badlands trim, you’ll also get the ability to disconnect the front stabilizer bar, and make use of two additional G.O.A.T. Modes: Rock-Crawl and Baja.

The Heritage Limited Edition is differentiated on the outside by its metal “Bronco” script fender badging, and on the inside by its leather-trimmed/vinyl plaid seats with white and Race Red accent stitching, and unique console badging.

Heritage models for Broncos without a heritage

While Ford didn’t build a Bronco Sport until last year, that hasn’t prevented them from offering the Heritage and Heritage Limited Edition on the Bronco Sport.

“It is just as important that we give our customers special editions similar to what we have done with the two- and four-door Bronco,” Grueber said. “We think the iconic themes from the ‘60s work perfectly on this vehicle.”

Both Bronco Sport Heritage models wear an exterior wardrobe similar, but not identical, to that of its larger siblings, with an Oxford roof, Oxford White heritage grille with Race Red “BRONCO” lettering, and Oxford White 17-inch aluminum heritage wheels and bodyside stripes.

The 2023 Bronco Sport Heritage Edition is based on the Big Bend series, just like the full-size Bronco SUVs, and comes standard with a 1.5-liter EcoBoost engine and 8-speed automatic transmission that generates 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque. A Terrain Management System with Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Mud/Ruts and Sand G.O.A.T. Modes is standard.

For a quieter, less jarring off-road experience, this Bronco has a H.O.S.S. system with raised ride height and specially tuned front struts and hydraulic rebound brakes. Antiroll bars, 46-millimeter monotube rear shocks, and specially tuned springs all contribute to the vehicle’s off-road comfort. 

Inside, you’ll get find a Navy Pier color lifted from 1980s-era with Oxford White accents, and heathered Navy Pier cloth seats with plaid inserts and Race Red and Robin’s Egg Blue accent stitching. There’s a microsuede center console and armrests accented in Race Red stitching and MOLLE strap storage system on the front-row seatbacks with Navy Pier straps and Race Red zipper grips. Other standard features include a tilt/telescopic steering wheel, dual automatic climate control, rubberized cargo floor, rear center arrest, heated side mirrors, privacy glass and a push-button starter.

Choose the Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition and you get a power upgrade from a 2.0-liter EcoBoost 4-cylinder engine with 250 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. It also comes equipped with additional Mud/Ruts and Rock Crawl G.O.A.T. Modes, and a twin-clutch rear-drive 4×4 system with a differential lock that can divert virtually all rear axle torque to either wheel.

In addition to wider 29-inch all-terrain off-road tires with more aggressive, deeper treads for enhanced off-road traction, Heritage Limited Edition versions wear metal “Bronco” script front fender badging. 

Inside, you’ll find unique Oxford White door inserts, distinctive center console badging, and upgraded leather-trimmed seats on Heritage Limited Edition cars. And while it shares the rest of its interior with the Bronco Sport Heritage Edition, its standard equipment level is that of the Badlands. So you also get paddle shifters, rear air vents, a larger 6.5-inch digital instrument cluster, 110-volt outlets on the center console and cargo area, 8-way power driver’s seat, heated front seats, second row under seat storage compartment, Trail Control, and a 180-degree front view camera.

If you’re interested

When it comes to color, you’ll find the Bronco Heritage Limited Edition is initially only available in Robin’s Egg Blue, a throwback to the 1966 Bronco’s Arcadian Blue. The Bronco Heritage Edition is offered in five hues. Yellowstone Metallic, based on the 1971 Ford color Prairie Yellow, is anticipated for the late 2023 model year, and Peak Blue is slated to debut in 2024.

For the Bronco Sport Heritage Edition, you’ll have a choice of seven paint colors, including Robin’s Egg Blue. Bronco Sport Heritage Limited Edition is limited to Robin’s Egg Blue, Yellowstone Metallic and Peak Blue.

Ordering is now open for the Heritage series models, with prices starting at $34,245 for the Bronco Sport Heritage Edition, and $44,655 for the Heritage Limited. The larger Bronco Heritage will start at $44,305 and Heritage Limited will be priced at $66,895.