An off-road vehicle painted pink sounds, at first glance, like a contradiction. But Ford just proved that color can be as much a part of the adventure as mud or dunes.
Read also: Honda prepares a new Ridgeline to conquer the US.
The brand presented the Bronco Desert Rising Edition, a customization package that gives a completely unexpected twist to its roughest model with a palette of magenta tones that refers directly to the most unique landscapes of the American West.
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The story behind this finish didn't come from just any drawing board. The project's lead designer, Bhavna Mistry, was inspired by a natural phenomenon that occurs every summer in Utah's Great Salt Lake, where microorganisms capable of surviving in extremely saline waters turn parts of the water a deep coral tone, especially in July.
Added to this were the reddish and purple colors seen at sunrise and sunset in the Coral Pink dunes, in addition to the contrast produced by desert cacti when they bloom after rare rains, covering an environment normally dominated by earth tones with magenta flowers.
Thoughtful details, not a fully painted vehicle
Instead of covering the entire body with the new tone, Ford preferred to distribute it at strategic points to achieve an elegant and non-saturated result.
The package includes magenta and black Katzkin leather seats, matching accent stitching, color-accented interior door handles, and desert-inspired side graphics. It also adds high-performance Method wheels with magenta centers, exclusive emblems, a limited edition serialized badge on the center console and auxiliary driving lights.
Exterior graphics are optional, so each buyer can choose between a more sober look or a totally eye-catching one.
And although the design steals the show, Ford insists that the Bronco's off-road capability is not touched. The Desert Rising Edition can be combined with the Sasquatch package, one of the most requested by those who demand real off-road performance.
The first of a new family of editions
This launch is not an isolated case. It is the starting point of the Horizon Series, a new line of exclusive packages created by Ford Custom Garage, the brand's division dedicated to producing customizations with full factory support. The initiative responds to a very marked trend in the US market, where almost half of buyers seek to modify their vehicle shortly after purchasing it.
Each package in this series is designed by Ford engineers and specialists, using genuine Ford Performance parts and components that do not compromise the warranty, as long as the installation is performed by a Ford dealer or ASE-certified technician. That's a key difference compared to DIY modifications, which in many cases end up affecting the manufacturer's coverage.
The Bronco Desert Rising Edition has a suggested price of $13,695, an amount that corresponds only to the customization package and adds to the value of the base Bronco. For now, it is only available for the Outer Banks version, and Ford confirmed that it will only produce 1,000 units.
