To mythologists, Sasquatch represents a large bi-pedal primate said to roam the forests of North America. For Ford, however, the Sasquatch is an off-road package designed to seek out or emulate this legendary creature, traversing various terrains. This year, the package moves from the large-footed Bronco to the more compact 2025 Bronco Sport.
This isn’t a direct upgrade between the two notably different models, but rather a parallel concept. Both vehicles feature 17-inch carbonized alloy wheels, yet the 29-inch Goodyear Territory All-Terrain tires (235/65/R17) fit snugly within the smaller wheel wells of the Bronco Sport. With sidewalls that are similarly reinforced and open treads comparable to the 35-inch Goodyear Territory Mud Terrains on the Bronco, the Bronco Sport Sasquatch easily navigated muddy ruts deep within Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains.
During a brief, curated test drive of pre-production Badlands models at Ford’s latest and fifth Bronco Off-Roadeo site near Knoxville, the new Bronco Sport Sasquatch demonstrated superior capability compared to the 2025 Subaru Forester Wilderness and showcased more potential than what’s left of Jeep’s compact crossover lineup, now narrowed down to the Compass Trailhawk.
Ford equips the Bronco Sport Sasquatch with five robust steel skid plates, raising its height 0.6 inches above the Bronco Sport Badlands, resulting in a total ground clearance of 8.8 inches. An accessory bar connects to the front bash plate, while two integrated tow hooks are affixed to the subframe, and the elevated rear bumper features recovery D-rings positioned at knee height. Despite the Sasquatch’s standard tow hitch and the Badlands’ towing capability of 2,700 pounds, the modular bumpers facilitate an approach angle of 31.2 degrees (compared to 30.0 on Badlands without the Sasquatch package) and a departure angle of 27.9 degrees (up from 26.7 degrees on standard Badlands).
Without utilizing rock rails, Ford was able to effectively showcase these slightly enhanced angles over a rock pile. The Sasquatch maintained balance with three wheels on the ground, revealing the skid plates that shield the engine, transmission, and fuel tank. The skid plates on the Bronco Sport were significantly sturdier than those found on the Toyota RAV4 TRD, making the plastic cover of the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness appear inadequate.
2025 Ford Bronco Sport with Sasquatch Package
The Sasquatch package is available with either the Outer Banks model equipped with a turbocharged 1.5-liter 3-cylinder engine or the Badlands model featuring a 2.0-liter turbo-4. The turbo-3 engine continues to deliver 181 hp and 190 lb-ft of torque, with power managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission that directs power to all four wheels. Ford claims enhancements have been made to the tuning of the power transfer unit across all Bronco Sports. The turbo-4 maintains a rating of 238 hp and 277 lb-ft when using premium fuel.
A significant alteration for the Sasquatch version of the turbo-4 is the installation of a larger cooling fan, increasing capability from 650 watts to 850 watts, allowing the Badlands Sasquatch to operate harder, faster, and longer, particularly in Rally mode. For the first time, the Outer Banks Sasquatch is now equipped with the Badlands’ twin-clutch rear-drive unit and locking rear differential, which enables torque distribution to either rear wheel.
MacPherson front struts remain unchanged, while improvements made to the rear suspension of the Badlands Sasquatch include Bilstein shocks with three-position passive damping, designed to better absorb compression and rebound at greater speeds while maintaining crossover-like comfort on the road. However, we did not have the opportunity to test this promise.
The drive through the Badlands while equipped with the Sasquatch Package lasted approximately 12 minutes, which provided ample opportunity to navigate the impressive display graphics on the newly standard 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. The Badlands Sasquatch features seven selectable modes on the console, now accompanied by sturdy grab handles. The visual graphics alter for each mode, allowing drivers to quickly understand their current setting without needing to focus solely on the dial. This model expands the range of options with Rally and Rock Crawl added to the existing Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, and Off-Road modes available in other models.
With captivating pitch and roll metrics and crucial off-road graphics prominently featured, some of the smaller icons may be overlooked. For example, a new One-Pedal Drive mode, acting as crawl control, enables users to simply press the throttle to ascend or descend steep, slick inclines; releasing the throttle will engage the brake, maintaining hold of the Bronco Sport, even on an incline, without requiring the driver to use the brake pedal. A small green icon on the bottom right of the display indicates when this feature is active.
The indicator for the locking rear differential is similarly sized, glowing in orange on the mid-left area of the display, opposite the stability control icon located on the right. While users need to know where to look, this layout keeps everything organized, helping owners easily identify the current settings.
In Off-Road or Rally modes, a dedicated off-road camera system becomes operational on the 13.2-inch touchscreen, which is now a standard feature across the lineup. New viewing angles allow drivers to see under the front axle, while even Bronco Sports lacking the Sasquatch Package but equipped with a surround-view camera system can view down near the front wheels.
The vehicle’s hood maintains its iconic twin peaks but lacks the corner sight indicators that characterize the larger Bronco model. The ridges assist in gauging where the hood concludes, and any uncertainty can be clarified using the camera system. Additionally, twin front fender tie-downs are conveniently located on each fender near the front doors. Each tie-down can secure up to 150 pounds on the roof, providing extra stability for longer items like paddleboards and canoes. There are also four auxiliary switches on the interior roof to engage any of the various accessories available from Ford, including driving lights and air compressors.
If navigating rugged terrains in pursuit of Sasquatch isn’t your preference, the Black Diamond package available on Big Bend models offers a similar aesthetic to the Sasquatch without the Bilsteins or the rear locking differential.
The 2025 Bronco Sport is set to launch in late 2024, priced at $31,590, plus a destination fee of $1,595, with models featuring the Sasquatch Package expected to arrive in early 2025. The Outer Banks Sasquatch option costs an additional $3,535 but requires bundling with the Tech package, increasing the total by $5,230. This brings the price of the Outer Banks Sasquatch to a substantial $41,810. The Badlands Sasquatch adds $2,990, elevating the overall cost to $44,580. The order banks are open as of today. The Sasquatch is waiting to be discovered.
Image Source: Darren Brode / Shutterstock
