Brett Foote
Way back in May, long before the reveal of the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport in July, Ford Authority was first to report that the “steelie” style wheels seen in various spy photos would be used in conjunction with the range-topping Badlands trim level. And sure enough, following the official Bronco Sport announcement, several Badlands models could be seen with these “steelies” in various photos from Ford. Now, we’ve officially confirmed that these wheels will be optional on the Bronco Sport Badlands trim.
Ironically, these old-school-looking wheels are not made of steel at all, but rather of a lightweight aluminum. Specifically, the rollers are 17 inches in size and known as the Carbonized Gray painted low gloss aluminum wheels (option code 64V). The standard Badlands wheel is the 17-inch Carbonized Gray-painted aluminum wheel. The wheel is definitely an interesting take on a traditional wheel design, but with a modern twist, adding to the rugged appeal of the off-road focused Badlands model.
Our previous report also indicated that the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands would be equipped with Falken Wildpeak A/T tires, and that has also been confirmed. The Badlands will ship standard with 28.5-inch 225/65R17 Pirelli Scorpion A/T tires, though 29 inch 235/65R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T tires are optional.
The Falken Wildpeak A/T tires are also standard equipment on the Bronco Sport First Edition, though all reservations for that model have already been claimed.
The remainder of the Bronco Sport lineup comes with standard all-season tires measuring in at 225/65R17 for the Base and Big Bend models. Customers can also opt for 225/60R18 tires as an option on the Big Bend, which is standard on the Outer Banks model.
The Wildpeak rubber gives the Badlands impressive off-road capability, including:
- 8.8-inch ground clearance
- 30.4-degree approach angle
- 20.4-degree breakover angle
- 33.1-degree departure angle
- 23.6-inch maximum water fording depth
- 7.4 inches of maximum suspension travel in the front and 8.1 inches in the rear
We’ll have much more on the new Bronco Sport soon, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Bronco news, Bronco Sport news, and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
It’s funny the fancy wheel is standard and the plan looking wheel is optional, but they do look better on this vehicle