The Ford Bronco Everglades is a purpose-built, off-road special edition beast that blends rugged capability with a disciplined on-road cruiser. It won’t be available for 2025, but Ford providing media access suggests the vehicle’s possible return in 2026.

The Everglades bundles the popular Sasquatch package, typically a $7,000 option, at no charge and makes it an off-road adventure value. It’s equipped with a high-clearance suspension, high-clearance fender flares, a snorkel and the ability to ford 36.4 inches of water. There are also rock rails, front and rear locking differentials with a 4.7:1 final drive ratio, an electronic sway bar disconnect, 35-inch beadlock capable wheels, mud terrain tires and a Warn winch rated at 12,000 pounds.

The Everglades is powered by a twin-turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. It’s so substantially powered, I thought it was a V6 until checking under the hood.

While driving a trail traversing the shoreline of an Alpine lake, the Everglades got stuck in the mud. The trail looked dry and solid, but the heavy vehicle broke through the trail’s crust and it was embedded in deep, gelatinous mud. The factory Goodyear Territory MT tires, while tall and wide, lacked sufficiently aggressive tread blocks to get a bite in gooey soil. I was buried nearly axle-deep.

Locking the front and rear axles, shifting into four-wheel drive low and rocking the SUV fore and aft gave me sufficient momentum to get the Everglades moving. With a big grin, quad rooster tails rained down chunks of mud as I side-winded my way out of the hole. Getting stuck shouldn’t be this much fun. I never needed the Warn winch; and I’m a bit disappointed I didn’t have the opportunity to try it.

Ford foresaw such shenanigans. The rubberized interior is garden hose wash-out friendly, replete with drain holes in the floorboards.

My test Everglades was presented in a handsome green, “Eruption Green Metallic.” It looked great, especially in direct sunlight where it sparkled with a metallic flash reminiscent of a Bass boat.

During my week long review, the Everglades received more attention than the Bronco Raptor I tested last year. I received several thumbs up, nods of approval and a fist pump.

As the Everglades became increasingly covered in mud, admiring looks multiplied.

Ingress and egress felt easier in the Everglades than in other four-door Broncos I’ve tested, perhaps due to an ideal ride height. But the two-door model has wider door openings and remains the easiest to climb into.

The four-door’s longer wheelbase translates to better ride quality, more cargo space and a larger fuel tank.

A note to Ford’s design team: The ideal Bronco would combine a two-door body with the four-door’s longer wheelbase.

The Everglades is a comfortable highway cruiser. There’s a lot of wind noise, as in other Broncos, but it’s not a deal breaker. It’s an acceptable tradeoff for the removable roof panels and removable doors.

Driver assistance features are limited, emergency braking and lane assist. Adaptive cruise control isn’t available.

Fuel economy is no better than the Bronco Raptor, even though it has two fewer cylinders.

The Bronco Everglades is equipped with Ford’s 2.3 L EcoBoost I4 with a 10-speed automatic transmission. It produces 300 horsepower and 325 lb ft of torque.

The Everglades has an EPA-estimated fuel economy of 18 miles per gallon in city driving, 17 mpg on the highway. I tend to keep the turbos spooled and averaged 15.8 mpg.

Whether its return is imminent or not, the 2024 Ford Bronco Everglades is an outstanding machine for off-road enthusiasts. It’s a compelling package for those who seek adventure beyond the pavement and it’s a strong value with an as-tested MSRP of $57,775 including destination.