The Ford Bronco Filson Is A Luxury Bronco That Still Wants To Go Off-Road

The iconic Ford Bronco was once one of the most rugged off-road SUVs in America. It was created to take on rough trails, dirt roads, and whatever else drivers could throw at it, long before the modern luxury SUV became a thing. You can also have it in different forms, such as a pickup and even an open-top version. The first gen was the most versatile, but subsequent generations remained two-door SUVs. Then Ford killed it.

After 30 years and five generations, the original Bronco disappeared from the lineup in 1996. But Ford brought it back in 2021, sticking to the original roots of what made the original Bronco such a great vehicle but with modern engineering and capability. But now Ford is taking the Bronco in a direction it has never really gone before.

The Original Bronco Was A Great Vehicle

When Ford introduced the original Bronco in 1966, the idea was fairly straightforward. It needed to be a compact, capable vehicle that could handle every outdoor activity but also remain useful and reliable for years. Over the years, the Bronco’s form changed considerably, but the mission was always the same. It was a vehicle built around utility and off-road capability.

As SUVs grew larger and comfort became a necessity, it became harder to maintain the Bronco’s true off-road nature. Eventually, Ford discontinued the Bronco after 1996. For more than two decades, fans kept reminiscing about the legendary Bronco. But the name existed only in memories, and the first-gen was already a certified classic. Then Ford brought it back.

The Bronco's Comeback Was A Big Success

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The sixth-generation Bronco arrived in 2021, and Ford nailed it. Some manufacturers have tried to bring back legendary names, and they have completely flopped. Ford made a very important decision with this SUV; it didn't try to reinvent what a Bronco was supposed to be. The latest Bronco is built on a high-strength body on a steel frame and can be had in two- and four-door configurations, with removable doors and roof sections. It also has a very capable four-wheel-drive system and different drive modes designed specifically for low-speed and high-speed off-road driving.

Ford didn’t make the Bronco for nostalgic purposes; they built a genuinely capable off-road vehicle, and everyone loved it. Ford reported 146,007 Bronco sales in the U.S. in 2025, giving the nameplate its best sales year ever, which was a 33.7% increase over 2024. They also had the smaller Bronco Sport for those who just wanted a smaller city SUV. Combined, both models sold around 280,500 cars in 2025. When you have a hit vehicle that’s already selling well, how do you expand its appeal without changing the things that made people like it? Ford's answer is the Filson.

The Filson Is A Luxury Bronco

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We’ve seen Ford partner with some brands in the past, making special editions for their vehicles. The most famous collab was the Eddie Bauer editions, and they’ve done some similar with the Bronco. Filson is a Seattle-based outdoor clothing brand that has been around since 1897. They specialise in making rugged outdoor clothing, luggage, and accessories.

The Ford Bronco and Filson have remarkably similar philosophies. Both have built their reputation around utility; they aren’t just good-looking items, but they’re also very useful. Filson's products have traditionally been aimed at people who work and spend time outdoors, while the Bronco has always been about getting its occupants through any terrain where ordinary vehicles might stop. This makes the Filson collaboration surprisingly natural. There are some changes to the Bronco, which start with the exterior.

The Filson Is More Than Just An Appearance Package

The Bronco Filson gets a unique grille with dedicated BRONCO lettering, color-matched wheel arches, and painted mirror caps. Buyers can also choose an exclusive Field Green Metallic exterior, along with other Bronco colors. You still get 35-inch rugged-terrain tires with the Sasquatch package as standard. That alone tells you this isn't a luxury Bronco designed to spend its entire life parked outside a restaurant.

Inside, the Filson gets perforated quilted leather, durable woven seat material inspired by Filson's Rugged Twill, a leather-wrapped dashboard and steering wheel, brass accents, and even a leather pouch on the door serving as storage. You also get ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, and an upgraded B&O audio system. But perhaps the most interesting parts of the interior are the ones that aren't there simply to make the Bronco feel expensive.

Ford has added Filson-inspired removable saddlebags in the trunk. They are designed to hold everything from outdoor equipment and first-aid supplies to camera gear, and they can be removed and carried with you once you've reached your destination. The materials are also designed to resist dirt and water. Small details like this get to the heart of what makes the Filson different.

The Bronco Filson gets a digital rearview mirror connected to a rear-facing camera with a washer system. That means the driver can still see behind the vehicle when the cargo area is packed with equipment. There are also power running boards that deploy automatically, making it easier to climb into a Bronco sitting on 35-inch tires. All of these small changes together give the Bronco that premium feel which no other Bronco has.

The Bronco Filson Is Still A Serious Off-Roader

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This is where the Bronco Filson gets particularly interesting. Ford could have taken the easy route. It could have given the Bronco a nicer interior, added some leather and called it a day. But everything had to be improved. As mentioned earlier, every Bronco Filson comes with the Sasquatch package as standard, which means this premium version gets serious off-road equipment straight from the factory.

That includes 35-inch rugged-terrain tires, front and rear electronic locking differentials and high-performance FOX shocks with internal-bypass technology. The Filson also gets Trail Turn Assist, Trail 1-Pedal Drive and Ford's Terrain Management System with seven G.O.A.T. Modes: Normal, Eco, Sport, Slippery, Baja, Off-Road and Rock Crawl. That is a lot of hardware for something that is supposed to be the luxurious Bronco. And then there's the engine.

Standard Broncos get either a 2.3-liter EcoBoost inline-four or a 2.7-liter EcoBoost V6. The Filson is powered by Ford's 3.0-liter twin-turbo EcoBoost V6, which was previously only available on the Bronco Raptor. There are no official figures yet it might be slightly detuned to make 400 horsepower.

This Is The Quietest And Most Comfortable Bronco

This is a very capable offroader, but it is not as hardcore as the rest. The FOX shocks have been custom-tuned specifically for the Filson for great off-road capability and improved on-road ride quality. Ford has also attacked one of the Bronco's more obvious weaknesses: noise. An SUV with detachable doors and roofs with large off-road tires was never going to be the quietest thing on the highway. So that was improved also.

Ford says the Bronco Filson has the quietest Bronco cabin yet, thanks to improved airflow management, acoustic glass and better sealing, reducing noise by nearly 20% compared to the 2021 Bronco. Combine that with all of the other upgrades and the Filson starts to make more sense as an everyday vehicle.

This is a feat that direct rivals like the Jeep Wrangler haven’t achieved yet. The Filson is moving into territory occupied by vehicles such as the Land Rover Defender 110. A segment that combines that rugged capability with premium features.

How Much Does The Ford Bronco Filson Cost?

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To commemorate the launch of the Filson, the Bronco Filson First Edition will be limited to just 2,500 units in North America. It gets an exclusive Iron Sands Copper Metallic exterior color, unique fender badge, a serialized console badge commemorating the Ford-Filson collaboration, and Filson-inspired cargo storage bags. But there was always going to be a price to pay for turning the Bronco into a more luxurious machine.

There is no official pricing at this time, but this should sit under the Raptor, which starts at $80,000. So the Filson may start in the mid-$70,000s. But you get a lot of exclusive and standard upgrades with this car: the 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6, standard Sasquatch pack, FOX shocks, 35-inch tires, locking differentials, the upgraded cabin, additional sound insulation and a long list of convenience features.

Ford is clearly not trying to make the Filson the Bronco for everyone. There are cheaper Broncos for buyers who simply want the basic formula, while the Raptor remains the performance-focused choice for those who want to push the platform much harder off-road.

The Filson is the Bronco for someone who wants the capability, but also wants a cabin that feels comfortable on a trip. Someone who might spend the weekend exploring a trail and then drive several hours home without wanting to feel like they've been punished for choosing an off-roader.