Watch The Ford Bronco Sport Prove Its Off-Road Prowess

Not surprisingly, the test vehicle shown here appears to be thehardcore Badlands trim, which has been equipped with an off-road suspension and a four-wheel-drive system with a clever twin-clutch differential on the rear axle with torque vectoring capability. Other cool features include front tow hooks, metal bash plates, and a low-speed cruise control function. It also comes equipped with the Terrain Management System with 7 GOAT Modes: Sand, Slippery, Sport, Eco, Normal, Mud/Ruts, and Rock Crawl. Power comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged EcoBoost four-cylinder good for 245 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque.

Starting at around the 6-minute mark is where the Bronco Sport Badlands really begins to show its stuff and the folks at Jeep would be doing themselves a favor by watching as well. The Bronco Sport Badland's main rival, the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk, finally has a serious rival.

The Bronco Sport's boxy SUV styling may also appeal to some Escape owners who aren't fans of the latest generation's more rounded, wagon-like look. Ford admitted it took a softer design approach with the latest Escape in order to differentiate it as much as possible from the Bronco Sport.

The original Escape also had a boxier design and the Bronco Sport picks up where that left off. If you're looking for a highly capable off-road crossover and never got around to liking the Cherokee's somewhat funky front-end styling, the Bronco Sport Badlands could be for you. And with astarting price of $32,660, it's hard to go wrong.