With fully populated ranges, most car manufacturers have a list of models names or numbers that they typically reuse for the next generation of any given model. But there are times when they decided that a new name is called for the name they have been using, often for some time, is retired. Most retain the trademarks to names they have used in the past, so there is always the option of bringing a much-liked name back into use, but care is needed when so doing, as if it is applied to a completely different sort of car, enthusiasts of the original tend to be very vocal in their disapproval, Whilst Fiat’s reuse of the Tipo name on their mid-sized hatch passed without undue comment, Ford took something of a social media pasting when the name Puma, first applied to a well-regarded Fiesta-based sports coupe of the late 90s, reappeared on a small crossover, for instance. It’s probably a slightly different story if the new car is a modern interpretation of the mc-loved older one, so Ford were always likely to face fewer howls of protest when they revealed that the Bronco nameplate would return to their catalogue for the 2021 model year. The car that was called just Bronco did indeed look much like the vehicle of the same name from 50 years ago, but reimagined for the second decade of the 21^st Century as a rival to the Jeep Wrangler, but we also got a completely different car called Bronco Sport at the same time. Much smaller, this is effectively a rebodied Ford Escape with styling cues from its bigger brother. It makes sense as the latest, third, generation of the Escape has gone ever more car like, thus leaving a gap in the now rather limited Ford passenger car range, for a true SUV like the first Escape was. A small number of these Bronco Sport cars seem to have reached the Hertz US rental fleet so when I saw a freshly washed example being parked up in the President’s Circle area at the large LAX facility, I went over to grab the keys before anyone else spotted it, keen to find out what I thought of the latest addition to a crowded market segment.

Standard engine in the Bronco Sport is the 3 cylinder 1.5 litre unit that appears in a number of other Ford models around the world, though a more powerful 2.0 litre four is available on some versions of the car. It generates 181 bhp, which is pretty much class average for vehicles of this size at present, and it comes coupled to a standard eight speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. Whilst it is generally quite a refined powerplant, with not much evidence of the characteristic three cylinder sound you often experience, it did seem to struggle a bit. I think the problem was probably more to do with the gearbox than the engine, as certainly it was slow to kick down, so if you needed a sudden burst of acceleration, there could be a pause before it was forthcoming. Once the right gear was selected, things were a lot better and the Bronco Sport was well able to keep up with the traffic. Perhaps a consequence of the rather blocky shape of the car, there was more wind noise than ideal when cruising on the freeway, but in other respects this was quite a refined car at speed. I covered 254 miles in my time with the car and it needed 8.3 gallons to fill it, which works out at 30.6 mpg US or 35.56 mpg Imperial, a decent but not class-leading result.

This being a Ford you would hope that it would excel from behind the wheel. It’s not as good as that, as sadly, the latest Fords seem to have lost the sparkle of their precise steering feel, but it is still better than many of its rivals, with good weighting to the steering set up, so whilst the car is light enough to manoeuvre, there is still good sensation as to what the steered wheels are doing. The Bronco Sport handles tidily, but the word Sport is something of a misnomer, as a car of this form factor with a high centre of gravity is never going to be as much fun as a similarly sized hatch model. There is plenty of grip, and the standard all-wheel drive provides an extra level of reassurance not needed on the weather conditions of my test. The version I tested rode on 225/65 R17 wheels and these endowed it with a pleasing level of comfort even on the less well surfaced roads of the Greater Los Angeles area. The brakes worked as you would hope, proving effective and needing only moderate pedal pressure. The boxy styling certainly helps with visibility and there is a rear-view camera to make things easier when parking up. Lane Keep Assist was as annoying as these systems always prove to be, but the Blind Spot Warning feature certainly was useful.

Ford has made quite an effort with the interior of the Bronco Sport, perhaps inevitably using a number Bronco images on the wheel and in the touchscreen and the various driving models, referred to as “Goat Modes” – the usual Eco, Sport, Normal and Snow – are something a little different. GOAT it turns out is an acrony for “Goes Over Any Terrain”.  On the whole, it is nicely finished interior, well put together with pleasant quality materials. There is a chunky leather-wrapped steering wheel which proved nice to hold. There is a turn wheel gear selector which works well enough. There are electronic instruments with the turquoise outers that have become something of a Ford feature in recent times. The fuel gauge and water temperature dials are between the larger speedometer and rev counter. Trip computer details are selected from buttons on the right hand steering wheel spoke. Other buttons here are for audio repeaters and cruise control. The standard functions of indicators and wipers are on stalks and the lights from a rotary dial on the dash to the left of the wheel. There are auto lights and wipers. The centre of the dash contains the 8” colour touch screen with Ford’s latest Sync3 system. I found it could sometimes get confused and had particular difficulties in trying to change radio stations. The system includes XM Satellite radio, Apple Car Play and Android Auto but not navigation which is a cost option. There is a standard six-speaker audio system whose sound quality was particularly acceptable. Beneath the screen are two rotaries and a series of buttons for the automated climate control which was easy to use, though it is only a single zone system in the trim of the test car. The car also includes wireless charging which is always useful.

The seats are upholstered in what Ford call a stain-proof material, which did look a little different from the usual sort of non-descript cloth you tend to find in cars of this class. Seat adjustment is electric and there is a wide range of travel, so it was easy to get the right driving position even though there was a slight offset feel to the seat relative to the controls. Although you sit quite high in the car, headroom is particularly generous.  I found the backrest was not as supportive as I would have liked.

For a mid-sized car, there rear passenger area is quite spacious., though the rear doors are relatively small, so getting is not as easy as it is with some rivals. Legroom is sufficient even if the front seats are set well back, and thanks to a relatively upright seating position, and the generous amount of headroom, adults should be comfortable here. The large centre console unit, with air vents in the rear face,  does come quite a way back, though, so a middle seat occupant will need to sit with their legs splayed. There is a drop-down armrest, with cup holders in the upper surface. There are no stowage bins on the doors but there are zipped map pockets on the back of the front seats.

To get into the boot, you can either open the whole tailgate or just the rear window. Do the former and sliding large objects in is easy. There is a movable floor. Luggage capacity is good for the size of car, with the high roof and low load floor giving you more height than you get in the Bronco Sport’s rivals and indeed there is more capacity here than in most. The cargo area has a number of hooks, plugs and lights available that are sure to come in handy on trips. More space can be created by dropping down the asymmetrically split rear seat backs. The resulting area is completely flat. There is a proper spare wheel under the boot floor. Inside the cabin there is a massive glovebox, a small tray under the climate control buttons and a recess in front of the gearlever as well as an armrest cubby and door pockets.

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport is offered in five trim levels and the names of these are not your usual list at all. They comprise the entry level, Base, then the Big Bend, Outer Banks, Badlands and First Edition. My test car was a Big Bend – not quite sure how people would react when you told them that, and certainly not a name you could probably use in Europe, not that this car is likely to be offered to European buyers. The Base model gets you the basics plus some decent tech features, such as:  Turbocharged 1.5-litre three-cylinder (181 bhp, 190 lb/ft of torque) with an eight-speed automatic transmission, standard Four-wheel drive, 17-inch wheels, Roof rails, LED headlights, a Rear liftgate with flip-up rear window and lighting, Adjustable drive modes, an 8-inch touchscreen including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration,  Remote monitoring and control via a smartphone app and a six-speaker audio system. Every Bronco Sport also comes with the Ford Co-Pilot360 suite of advanced safety features that includes: Frontal collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios), Lane keeping assist and Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert. The Big Bend trim adds several convenience and comfort features that include: Foglights, Heated mirrors, Tinted rear passenger and cargo windows,  Keyless ignition and entry, Automatic climate control, Stain-resistant cloth upholstery and rubberized cargo floor and Cargo pockets on the front seatbacks with Molle cargo straps. The midrange Outer Banks trim is a good pick for rugged shoppers who also want some of the niceties that are available in less off-road-specific SUVs. These include: Rain-sensing and heated wipers, Rear parking sensors, Remote ignition, Leather upholstery, Heated front seats, Power-adjustable front seats, Dual-zone automatic climate control, Digital instrument panel, Auto-dimming rearview mirror, Interior ambient lighting, Heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel,  Household power outlet. The Badlands model comes with the most off-roading features. Compared to the Big Bend trim, it adds: Turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine (250 bhp, 277 lb/ft),  Specific off-road suspension and all-terrain tyres, Underbody skid plates, Front tow hooks, Upgraded 4WD system with special rear differential, Trail control (cruise control for off-roading), Forward-looking 180-degree camera system, Rubberized flooring, Household power outlet, Digital instrument panel, Power-adjustable driver’s seat, Heated front seats, Passenger-side rear-seat underfloor storage. The First Edition is essentially a nearly fully loaded version of the Bronco Sport. It includes the items that were deleted from the Badlands trim as well as: Slightly taller all-terrain tyres, Roof rack crossbars, Sunroof,  Class II tow hitch receiver, Trailer sway control (adjusts vehicle brakes to help control trailer movement if a trailer begins to sway), Wireless charging pad and a 10-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system. Many features are available on supporting trims as options. A navigation system can be added to any trim level. Adaptive cruise control is also available.

I rather enjoyed the Bronco Sport. Dim-witted gearbox aside, there is little that merits much in the way of criticism, and the fact that this is a distinctive product with its retro-inspired styling and lots of details is very welcome in a class full of products that tend to be rather indistinguishable from each other. Hertz put it in the same rental category as the Escape, the Tucson, the RAV4, the Kia Sportage, Nissan Rogue and the like, and were another one available, I think the Bronco Sport could well be the one I would pick. So, whilst it is not a real Bronco (but Ford will sell you one of those, even if Hertz can’t yet rent you one), it is probably worthy enough of the name for to avoid the social media onslaught of disapproval.