Ford Bronco Everglades is official, arrives next summer with the Raptor

The 2022 Bronco Everglades is official, with a winch and a snorkel to boot. Ford North America product communications manager Mike Levine sent out this tweet last week: 

Everglades https://t.co/SMTYme2huN pic.twitter.com/LPUnNPikZZ

— Mike Levine (@mrlevine) October 13, 2021

The Everglades package was one of the Easter eggs discovered in Ford’s ordering system in September. We gather it’s the production version of a camo’ed Bronco we saw in June that we called an overlander (pictured). The system showed it bearing a 922A order code and applicable to the four-door Bronco models only. Its interior was listed as being marine-grade and colored Vinyl Overland Black Onyx. Outside, the color palette ran to Area 51, Cactus Gray, the recently announced Eruption Green, Shadow Black, and a new color we still haven’t heard anything about called Desert Sand. We’re wondering how far Desert Sand will spread throughout the range; seems odd to be limited to a water-themed rough rider. Levine’s tweet said we’ll be able to build one soon on Ford’s configurator, but an e-mail from Ford indicated “Details on pricing and vehicle specifications will be announced in the first quarter of 2022.”

Ford Performance developed an after-sales winch package with Warn, able to pull 10,000 pounds on 100 feet of line and costing $3,500 with a remote and all the hardware. There are quite a few restrictions with that unit, however, even ignoring the eye-popping price. It only fits certain Bronco trims, can’t be had with Lux packages, requires another outlet for dealer install, and it requires the modular bumper; the Black Diamond and Badlands did come standard with the modular bumper, but will swap that for a Capable bumper as standard next year. Nevertheless, short of more surprises before next summer, the Everglades will feature the first winch fitted from the factory. As for the snorkel, we look forward to finding out if it adds any capability. The prototype from last summer also had its roof shrouded, so there could be a bonus or two there as well.

We also look forward to finding out if Bronco production will have caught up enough by next summer to give those who reserve an Everglades the chance to get it. At the moment, there are still a lot of reservation holders and dealers who seem equally in the dark about when buyers will get their orders. Some of the true believers who ordered the First Edition have already been told they’re SOL. And the fact that Ford advised dealers in March that it probably couldn’t build all the 2021-model-year orders, yet dealers continued taking orders for 2021 models for at least five more months, is another measure of the mess that won’t be cleared up soon.

Even so, there are highlights to come next year, all with caveats. The Sasquatch Package gets a manual transmission option but only for the 2.3-liter engine, and a roof rack on most four-door models. There’s a new Capable bumper, the heavy duty bumper that came standard on the Black Diamond and Badlands will be a cost option. There are two new colors, and of course, the Bronco Raptor. Be warned, that same e-mail with the heads up about the Everglades also advised “These [Raptor and Everglades] special editions will be built in limited quantities and availability is not guaranteed for all order holders.” Good luck.

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Source: www.autoblog.com