Ford Shines Spotlight on Bronco, Bronco Sport’s HOSS System
Photo: Ford
The 2021 Ford Bronco and Bronco Sport are pretty legit off-road, fair to say. Both are standard with 4×4 capability, offer tons of optional upgrades with factory-supported accessories, and feature standard G.O.A.T. Modes. The duo also has another acronym-based commonality: the HOSS System, which makes it every bit as legit on-road.
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HOSS System makes Bronco, Bronco Sport smoother on-road
HOSS stands for High-Performance Off-Road Stability Suspension, and it gives the all-new Bronco and Bronco Sport a snug and controlled feel whether you’re on-road or off. In talking about the benefits of the HOSS System, Bronco consumer marketing manager Mark Grueber found some paydirt to take a bit of a veiled dig at the Jeep Wrangler, which isn’t known for its smooth on-road ride. Because why not?
“We listened to what off-road enthusiasts wanted in terms of capability and control — and heard a lot about what could be improved in the current off-road SUV offerings — namely harsh ride, sloppy steering, and discomfort above crawling speeds,” said Grueber.
Watch: Spotlight on the Bronco’s HOSS System
The HOSS System varies depending on which vehicle you wind up with, but there are similarities between the Bronco and Bronco Sport. The Bronco two-door, Bronco four-door, and Bronco Sport all have an independent front suspension — the Bronco’s setup inspired by the F-150 Raptor with forged twin aluminum alloy A-arms and the Bronco Sport gets independent MacPherson struts. Both SUVs also offer taller coil springs and heavy-duty dampers.
Whether it’s the Bronco or the Bronco Sport, HOSS System tuning makes quite a difference.
“The spring rates and shock tuning were chosen to ensure a level of off-road performance worthy of the Bronco name,” said Nathan Musleh, Bronco Sport vehicle dynamics engineer. “While attacking a rutted trail or sand dune, you can feel the difference the HOSS tuning makes by reducing unwanted pitch and allowing the driver to focus on what’s ahead.”
If you upgrade to the Bronco Badlands, add the Sasquatch Package to the Bronco, or opt for the Bronco Sport Badlands or long-sold-out First Edition, you’ll also get an upgraded HOSS System. The Bronco Badlands swap in position-sensitive Bilstein dampers that increase ground clearance and ride height as well as a semi-active hydraulic front stabilizer-bar disconnect system.
The HOSS System is just a piece of the puzzle making the new Bronco brand SUVs absolute must-tries. When you couple that with G.O.A.T. Modes, the powerful engines, and the clean aesthetics, you’ve got something that you might call winner winner chicken dinner.
Kyle S. Johnson lives in Cincinnati, a city known by many as “the Cincinnati of Southwest Ohio.” He enjoys professional wrestling, Halloween, and also other things. He has been writing for a while, and he plans to continue to write well into the future. See more articles by Kyle.