Will the Ford Bronco Sasquatch Get a Stick After All?

Tim Healey
by Tim Healey

Ford Bronco enthusiasts were happy that you’ll be able to get a manual transmission. But they weren’t so happy when the company announced that the Sasquatch off-road package would only be available with an automatic transmission.

The Twitter push back was intense, and Ford PR did say that the company would consider offering the Sasquatch on manual-transmission models (the stick is only available with the 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine) if there was enough consumer interest.

Apparently, there is.

Reports have surfaced that there’s a prototype of a Bronco in Badlands trim with the Sasquatch package and the seven-speed manual out there doing testing.

The Sasquatch package provides off-road wheels and tires, locking front and rear differentials, full-time four-wheel drive, fender flares with higher clearance, and a suspension tuned for off-road performance that has Bilstein dampers.

The existence of a prototype equipped with Sasquatch Package and a stick doesn’t mean that we’ll see such a vehicle for sale, of course. But it suggests Ford might be at least investigating how the package will work with a manual.

Ford is giving hope to both the save the manuals crowd and those who believe stick-shifts allow for a better off-road experience.

We’ll see if petitions and angry tweets change Ford’s plans regarding the Sasquatch and the stick.

[Image: Ford]

Tim Healey
Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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 7 comments
  • Jack4x Jack4x on Sep 18, 2020

    Inexplicable decision in the first place, luckily it should be fairly easy to remedy. Glad they are seeing the light here, but I won't hold out hope for a stick with the big engine sadly.

  • EBFlex EBFlex on Sep 18, 2020

    Yawn. More non news about the Ford Blazer. Are they even building this turd yet?

  • FreedMike FreedMike on Sep 18, 2020

    Sorry, Ford, this is a cool vehicle, but every time I hear the name "Sasquatch" I can't help but think of "The Six Million Dollar Man." youtube.com/watch?v=ef7nRdLQu_4

    • See 3 previous
    • Lou_BC Lou_BC on Sep 18, 2020

      @FreedMike LOL Kinda like the "E" SUV's = Explorer, Expedition, Excursion

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