No 2.7 for 2dr Badlands 2025...but why?

Ford hasn't said why, so we can speculate. One reason may be to drive buyers to the Stroppe, the only 2-door with the 2.7L. Another reason may be that people just weren't buying the 2-door 2.7L (enthusiasts, yes. I have it and love it.) and it wasn't worth it to Ford. At any rate, I hope it comes back as an option for 2026. Ford has brought back options before; it would be great to see it again. I also wish more people would get 2-doors so Ford keeps them around; the trim options are starting to get scary few for them!

It seems they should have just discontinued the 2.3 and manual option. Bad enough that a base 2 door with Sasquatch and 2.3 stickers for the same msrp as my 22 OBX, high, tow, 2.7, rear locker. The 2.3 doesn’t get much better mileage and I’d imagine those opting for manual will start to dwindle. Looks like I’ll just be holding onto my 2 door V6. No way I’m paying $75K for their poor replication of a Stroppe.

It's too bad the 2 door has to take the back seat.
I suppose we should be thankful ford made a 4 door. Thats a big part of it coming to market.
I guess the sales numbers dictate what to offer. There doesn't seem to be a supply or warranty issue.

Thankfully I've got my 2 door V6, badlands squatch and I just couldn't be happier. I think 2 doors will just become more rare and with the ford limited trim options maybe even more unique and loyal to the original.

If you spec a Badlands with the extras that are included with the Stroppe, and with the 2.3, you’re going to be within about 9,000 of the Stroppe pricing… add the cost difference for the 2.7 and add the beefed up steering gear underneath, and you’re within 5k of the Stroppe…

I’m guessing they were wanting to push people toward the Stroppe, and in reality, everyone I’ve talked to with a 2-door and 2.3 are VERY happy with their setups…

my 2¢

Glad I found this post. I had thought about posting about two doors and lack of V6 available except for Stroppe edition. Ford - if you would allow me to buy a 2026 two door V6 Badlands, I’d go buy my second Bronco. And I don’t mean trade in my current four door, I mean I’d have both sitting in my drive way, trail ready to go and enjoy every day. Ford - if you offered that two door V6 in manual you’d have my money even faster. So Ford, in short please two door, non-Stroope V6 edition please!

Actually finally looked at a Stroppe last week, and after climbing around it and spending some time on a walk-around, I am very glad I went with a four-door for my go-to Bronco… With my life (rife with grandkids) and the amount of time we spend putting stuff in and out of the back seat, the four-door certainly trumps the two-door in that department…

That being said, IF I could just have a toy to play with by myself (or me and the missus), the Stroppe would be on the list, along with a nicely refurbed 1st gen… My wife thinks maybe a Kindred or Gateway, when I win the lottery.

The Badlands was designed to be the Bronco's most capable offering, and to ensure that it was most capable, the 2.3 MT combination offered for the Badlands included the very important "crawl" gear. This gear provides a crawl ratio of 94.7:, meaning that for every 94.7 engine rotations, your wheel rotates once. (this compares to the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, with a crawl ratio of 84.2:1) For comparison, the Bronco’s first gear has a gear ratio of 4.2:1 which means that for every 4.2 engine rotations, the wheel rotates once. The crawler gear provides greater engine power per wheel rotation. Theoretically the Bronco will send 29,372 ft/lbs of torque to the wheels, and this comes in very handy if you are upgrading to more weight or tire size.
Additionally, this super low gearing allows you more accurate throttle control instead of sending too much power and spinning tires when you need grip. The ultra low gear makes so much power available that you won’t have to ride the clutch at slow speeds. No more worrying about a burning or slipping clutch when you’re on a difficult obstacle.
As to the comparison with the 10spd automatic transmission offering, it will provides you with a much lower, crawl ratio of 67.8:1. That is a big difference when it comes to you with a most capable vehicle.
And that is why...

the poacher

The Badlands was designed to be the Bronco's most capable offering, and to ensure that it was most capable, the 2.3 MT combination offered for the Badlands included the very important "crawl" gear. This gear provides a crawl ratio of 94.7:, meaning that for every 94.7 engine rotations, your wheel rotates once. (this compares to the Jeep Wrangler Rubicon, with a crawl ratio of 84.2:1) For comparison, the Bronco’s first gear has a gear ratio of 4.2:1 which means that for every 4.2 engine rotations, the wheel rotates once. The crawler gear provides greater engine power per wheel rotation. Theoretically the Bronco will send 29,372 ft/lbs of torque to the wheels, and this comes in very handy if you are upgrading to more weight or tire size.
Additionally, this super low gearing allows you more accurate throttle control instead of sending too much power and spinning tires when you need grip. The ultra low gear makes so much power available that you won’t have to ride the clutch at slow speeds. No more worrying about a burning or slipping clutch when you’re on a difficult obstacle.
As to the comparison with the 10spd automatic transmission offering, it will provides you with a much lower, crawl ratio of 67.8:1. That is a big difference when it comes to you with a most capable vehicle.
And that is why...

You're forgetting one thing. The torque converter in the auto effectively multiplies torque (up to ~1.5–2×) at stall speed.
So in practice, its effective crawl ratio can approach or exceed 90 : 1, depending on conditions — even though the mechanical ratio is lower.

That’s why in real-world trail use, the auto doesn’t feel dramatically worse at crawling. It’s actually easier to manage on steep climbs because you don’t risk stalling mid-obstacle.

JoergH

You're forgetting one thing. The torque converter in the auto effectively multiplies torque (up to ~1.5–2×) at stall speed.
So in practice, its effective crawl ratio can approach or exceed 90 : 1, depending on conditions — even though the mechanical ratio is lower.

That’s why in real-world trail use, the auto doesn’t feel dramatically worse at crawling. It’s actually easier to manage on steep climbs because you don’t risk stalling mid-obstacle.

You do bring up a very good point, and a correct one, as the torque converter does bring the crawl ration close to the Manual 90:1, and it is certainly easier to manage for an inexperienced driver in difficult conditions. However, the manual does provide more control for experienced drivers, thus making the MT the more capable of the two in my very esteemed estimation 😁.

It's too much power for that short of a wheelbase, the potential to flip it if gassed was too great. Ford made the call to not offer the big old monster 2.7 liter
😁

Bluestreak57

Actually finally looked at a Stroppe last week, and after climbing around it and spending some time on a walk-around, I am very glad I went with a four-door for my go-to Bronco… With my life (rife with grandkids) and the amount of time we spend putting stuff in and out of the back seat, the four-door certainly trumps the two-door in that department…

That being said, IF I could just have a toy to play with by myself (or me and the missus), the Stroppe would be on the list, along with a nicely refurbed 1st gen… My wife thinks maybe a Kindred or Gateway, when I win the lottery.

Hmmm, Ford must have been listening to you. In 2026, the Stroppe is only offered in a 4 door. 😁

Laura

Ford hasn't said why, so we can speculate. One reason may be to drive buyers to the Stroppe, the only 2-door with the 2.7L. Another reason may be that people just weren't buying the 2-door 2.7L (enthusiasts, yes. I have it and love it.) and it wasn't worth it to Ford. At any rate, I hope it comes back as an option for 2026. Ford has brought back options before; it would be great to see it again. I also wish more people would get 2-doors so Ford keeps them around; the trim options are starting to get scary few for them!

If I had an ear with FoMoCo, I'd tell them they have now completely botched the Bronco lineup. It was nearly perfect at launch. Now, one might as well just get an Explorer if a Ford SUV product is desired. I'll be surprised if the Bronco makes it to a Gen 7.

Eninty

If I had an ear with FoMoCo, I'd tell them they have now completely botched the Bronco lineup. It was nearly perfect at launch. Now, one might as well just get an Explorer if a Ford SUV product is desired. I'll be surprised if the Bronco makes it to a Gen 7.

I was a fan of all the choices at launch. Probably too many on their end and the all the configurations seemed to slow down production and deliveries, but it was hard to not find a Bronco that appealed.

I could still pick one out easily now; I just don't want to pay the prices. I drove my first 2025 Badlands earlier this month at Off-Roadeo and wasn't a fan of having to go Lux package to get the 360 cameras. I didn't use them much at the beginning, but now that I've gotten used to them, I wouldn't want to go back to a Bronco without. I also don't want to pay Lux prices. I know that's more of a state of inflation and my money not keeping up, and I was reading The Price Of A New Car Has Officially Become Unthinkable yesterday, so this isn't just a Bronco issue that I blame Ford for.

Laura

I was a fan of all the choices at launch. Probably too many on their end and the all the configurations seemed to slow down production and deliveries, but it was hard to not find a Bronco that appealed.

I could still pick one out easily now; I just don't want to pay the prices. I drove my first 2025 Badlands earlier this month at Off-Roadeo and wasn't a fan of having to go Lux package to get the 360 cameras. I didn't use them much at the beginning, but now that I've gotten used to them, I wouldn't want to go back to a Bronco without. I also don't want to pay Lux prices. I know that's more of a state of inflation and my money not keeping up, and I was reading The Price Of A New Car Has Officially Become Unthinkable yesterday, so this isn't just a Bronco issue that I blame Ford for.

I totally get where you’re coming from. Personally, I thought the Bronco lineup at launch was close—but no banana. The Wildtrak and Badlands were just too close together in terms of options, and having a single “desert runner” like the Strope now makes more sense than what Ford was going for back then.

I always felt that as you moved up the trim ladder, the Bronco should become more off-road capable—so the whole “Base with Sasquatch” thing never really clicked for me.

Here’s the thing, though: if someone’s looking for a comfortable grocery-getter SUV, the Bronco just isn’t the right fit. But if you want something that’s genuinely off-road capable and you’re okay with the tradeoffs that come with that, the Bronco can’t be beat.

On the flip side, if you’re after a hardcore rock-crawling rig, the Bronco still isn’t the ultimate answer. You can build it close, sure—but that IFS will always be a limiting factor in the end. You can get close… but again, no banana.

That’s kind of why I think a lot of Ford’s choices—both at launch and today—actually make sense when you look at who the Bronco is really for. It’s perfect for people who want something comfortable enough for daily driving, but still ready for moderate to tough trails without beating you up on the way home.

JoergH

I totally get where you’re coming from. Personally, I thought the Bronco lineup at launch was close—but no banana. The Wildtrak and Badlands were just too close together in terms of options, and having a single “desert runner” like the Strope now makes more sense than what Ford was going for back then.

I always felt that as you moved up the trim ladder, the Bronco should become more off-road capable—so the whole “Base with Sasquatch” thing never really clicked for me.

Here’s the thing, though: if someone’s looking for a comfortable grocery-getter SUV, the Bronco just isn’t the right fit. But if you want something that’s genuinely off-road capable and you’re okay with the tradeoffs that come with that, the Bronco can’t be beat.

On the flip side, if you’re after a hardcore rock-crawling rig, the Bronco still isn’t the ultimate answer. You can build it close, sure—but that IFS will always be a limiting factor in the end. You can get close… but again, no banana.

That’s kind of why I think a lot of Ford’s choices—both at launch and today—actually make sense when you look at who the Bronco is really for. It’s perfect for people who want something comfortable enough for daily driving, but still ready for moderate to tough trails without beating you up on the way home.

Solid assessment. Wildtrak, without the HOSS 3.0 it seemed it was supposed to have at launch, never made a ton of sense at that point, other than being a cost-efficient way to get the 2.7L, Sasquatch, and hard top standard. Plus it looked nice with the gloss accents.

I agree that you've identified the best buyer for a Bronco. That's why I bought it, because it was like the grown-up version of my XJs -- capable off-road and in winter weather but comfortable/reliable for an every day vehicle.

They certainly are funneling sales to other options.
They will probably phase out the 2 door altogether.That will make a lot of people happy.

Laura

I was a fan of all the choices at launch. Probably too many on their end and the all the configurations seemed to slow down production and deliveries, but it was hard to not find a Bronco that appealed.

I could still pick one out easily now; I just don't want to pay the prices. I drove my first 2025 Badlands earlier this month at Off-Roadeo and wasn't a fan of having to go Lux package to get the 360 cameras. I didn't use them much at the beginning, but now that I've gotten used to them, I wouldn't want to go back to a Bronco without. I also don't want to pay Lux prices. I know that's more of a state of inflation and my money not keeping up, and I was reading The Price Of A New Car Has Officially Become Unthinkable yesterday, so this isn't just a Bronco issue that I blame Ford for.

Actually the only choices we had at launch were the top 3 trim levels.Ford didn't want to build the lower trims and dealers wouldn't take orders for them.

Bluestreak57

If you spec a Badlands with the extras that are included with the Stroppe, and with the 2.3, you’re going to be within about 9,000 of the Stroppe pricing… add the cost difference for the 2.7 and add the beefed up steering gear underneath, and you’re within 5k of the Stroppe…

I’m guessing they were wanting to push people toward the Stroppe, and in reality, everyone I’ve talked to with a 2-door and 2.3 are VERY happy with their setups…

my 2¢

Yep and they’d be happier with a 2dr 2.7.
A world of difference…

Bronco V-8

They certainly are funneling sales to other options.
They will probably phase out the 2 door altogether.That will make a lot of people happy.

Why would it make people Happy? Those that want the four door get the four door.... The only thing I see is the people who want the two door would be unhappy.... Granted more people choose the four door because it fits their lifestyle. There are still a large number of us that would NEVER buy a four door because of other options fitting those needs better in my opinion.... I purchased a very nice trail rig that has a 17 inch shorter wheel base. that was important to me. I prefer the IFS over a solid axle because it rides and steers dramatically better than a solid axle. I can keep up with the solid axles over the rocks all day long because with locking front and rear differentials I can three wheel just fine.... without the dual lockers you better keep all four tires on the ground.