When Ford first announced the revival of the namesake Bronco, they also dropped hints of a supposed “baby Bronco” joining the ranks, and that foal, of course, became the Ford Bronco Sport. And now, a mid-cycle refresh is planned for 2025, so I’m here at the still-under-construction Off-Roadeo Experience Center outside Knoxville, Tennessee, to give you a first look.

This update puts an emphasis on modularity and, as the folks at Ford put it, democratizing outdoor living, meaning more people have the opportunity to get out there and have wild fun. This compact two-row utility vehicle features a number of ideas and features borrowed from the full-size Bronco to achieve that goal, and perhaps the best example is the newly available Sasquatch package.

Available as an option for Badlands or Outer Banks, it comes with plenty of off-road-ready hardware. And unlike shaky camera footage of Sasquatches roaming the Pacific Northwest, we caught some crystal-clear evidence of this new gear ourselves.

Bronco Sport Sasquatches may not blaze their way through your favorite campground at the same pace as their big brothers, but the hardware here is significant. And it actually starts with a larger contact patch: those 29-inch Goodyear Territory all-terrain tires. That’s sort of a knockoff of the stuff you’d see on the Bronco Sasquatch—it gives it a little more grip on those…not-so-man-made trails. But that’s not all.

In the back we have Bilstein position sensitive shocks. There is also a dual clutch rear wheel drive system, originally reserved for the Bronco Sport Badlands, which also comes with a limited-slip rear differential. Of course there is also a skid plate, tow hooks front and rear and a few other extras that we will look at in a moment.

Here it is: This used to be just a design element for the Bronco Sport, but now it’s actually a feature. This is a fender mount. So let’s say you put your kayak or your paddle board or something else on the roof, you can strap it down here and store it safely.

And here’s the steel front bumper. You’ll notice a couple of things: first, the skid plate; second, the skid plate that attaches to the tow hooks that I mentioned earlier; and third, in detail, the Bronco Bolt. So that’s another thing they took from the big brother and pared down. Anywhere you see those, you can put your own accessories, so lights, a light bar, whatever you need to put on, you can put it in there. It’s all about modularity. Behind that skid plate, you can see a little bit of the updated front fascia, and under the hood… things have actually stayed pretty much the same.

And when we open the hood, we see something very, very familiar. This is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder EcoBoost, which you got before in the Badlands, and now returns for the Badlands and the Badlands Sasquatch. 450 Nm of torque sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. So there’s no front-wheel drive Bronco Sports… they deliver all the power to all four corners.

That includes another returning powertrain: a 1.5-liter three-cylinder. So, yes, a lot of things stay the same, but Ford has added a few things to make the driving experience a little better.

First off, CoPilot 360, Ford’s integrated suite of safety and convenience features, is standard on all models, as are two new digital sections. The 12.3-inch driver instrument cluster is inspired by the one found in the Bronco Raptor, and in addition to displaying key vehicle data, it also features some unique animations for the various GOAT: Goes Over Any Terrain modes, in case you weren’t expecting extra animal jargon. A new Rally mode, included on the Badlands and Badlands Sasquatch, holds gears longer and sharpens both throttle and steering feedback for faster off-roading.

This digital dashboard is complemented by a 13.2-inch infotainment system with SYNC4. It’s larger and takes over some of the physical controls that were previously found below. Both screens are standard on all trims.

But Ford has also brought a little more of that off-road modularity and readiness into the cabin.

Newly available is a Bring Your Own Device Tray that allows you to mount and charge a camera so you can record all your off-road rides. Grab handles inside are provided in case the rides get too risky. And Sasquatch models come standard with pre-wired auxiliary switches, making mounting lights even easier.

And if after all this talk you decide you don’t need a Sasquatch but would still like some of that extra toughness, the Big Bend Black Diamond package is for you: It includes tow hooks, steel underbody protection, all-terrain tires, fender mounts and auxiliary switches.

Beyond that, you can expect much of the same from the Bronco Sport. It still offers a cozy two-row five-seat experience and is still considered the “baby” of the Bronco lineup. Pricing will be announced as launch approaches; most models will launch around November 2024, but the Sasquatch models will arrive in early 2025.

And yes, that’s the gist. That’s the mid-cycle update of the 2025 Ford Bronco Sport. Personally, I’m a big fan of what they did with the Sasquatch package for both the 1.5- and 2.0-liter engines. I like some of the interior touches… overall, it’s just a little more robust and actually a little more modular. But let us know what you think in the comments below. We’ll have more details on this soon, including pricing, availability, etc., but until then – well, you know the game. Drive safe and stay tuned to MotorWeek.