Ford may let 2021 Bronco buyers have the Sasquatch package and a manual

When Ford announced the 2021 Bronco, there was very little to be disappointed about. However, one thing that Ford wasn't going to allow Bronco buyers to do was pair the Sasquatch package that adds larger tires with the manual transmission. This bothered some Bronco fans as Jeep will allow buyers to get the Rubicon package with a manual transmission.Reports have now surfaced that Ford is doing some durability testing in Moab, Utah, using a Bronco Badlands with a 2.3-liter engine paired with the manual transmission. The first time the folks at Bronco Nation took a ride in that specific Bronco, as identified by its Ford vehicle number posted on the windshield, it was rolling on 33-inch tires.

The same vehicle has now been spotted in durability testing wearing 35-inch tires. The only way to get 35-inch tires on the Bronco from the factory is to purchase the Sasquatch package. This would indicate Ford is having second thoughts about not allowing the manual transmission and Sasquatch package on the same ride.

Some may wonder what the benefit of 35-inch tires are on a vehicle being used off-road. The only way to increase the ground clearance between the vehicle's axles and differentials is to move to larger tires. Lifting the suspension only offers additional room between the chassis and the axles, offering no increase in ground clearance.

The fact that the vehicle with the manual transmission is wearing the larger tires indicates buyers may get the manual and Sasquatch package after all. When the 2021 Bronco was first announced, the Sasquatch package could only be paired with the automatic transmission.