Ford’s window sticker for a 2026 Bronco Base 4-door lists a base price of $40,795, plus a $1,995 destination and delivery charge. That’s $42,790 before tax and options. The transmission line on that sticker reads “7-speed manual transmission,” and it’s the standard gearbox on the cheapest Bronco you can order. Ford’s Bronco Base page lists the 10-speed automatic as the option.
The clutch: seven speeds, and one of them is for rocks
Ford calls it a seven-speed manual, but it’s really six road gears plus a crawler gear. The Base model page puts it plainly: paired with the 2.3-liter EcoBoost, “this powertrain offers six gears for everyday driving, plus a crawler gear with a ratio as low as 94.75:1.” When Ford launched the Bronco in 2020, its press release called it a “segment-first 7-speed (6+1) manual,” and that 94.75:1 figure is still on the books. Ford’s 2026 Bronco lineup page says the seven-speed manual is “standard on Base, Big Bend, Badlands, and Heritage Edition.” The Outer Banks, Stroppe Edition, and Raptor are 10-speed automatic only. Ford’s equipment lists also split the off-road software by pedal count. Hill Descent Control “requires Manual Transmission,” while Trail Control and Trail Turn Assist require the 10-speed automatic. So the clutch isn’t a stripped-out holdover. Ford builds the cheapest Bronco around it.
The official numbers
From Ford’s 2026 Bronco pages on ford.com and Ford’s window sticker for a manual Base 4-door:
- 2026 Bronco Base 4-door 4×4: $40,795 base price, $1,995 destination and delivery
- Engine: 2.3-liter EcoBoost four-cylinder, 300 hp and 325 lb-ft
- Transmission: seven-speed manual (six gears plus crawler) standard, 10-speed automatic available
- Crawler gear ratio: as low as 94.75:1
- Manual standard on Base, Big Bend, Badlands, and Heritage Edition
- 10-speed automatic only on Outer Banks, Stroppe Edition, and Raptor
- Ground clearance: 8.3 inches on the standard 2-door, up to 11.6 inches with the Sasquatch Package
- Water fording: up to 33.5 inches; towing up to 3,500 pounds with the right equipment
- Four-wheel drive standard on every Bronco
Badlands is where it gets serious
If you want the clutch with the hardware, the Badlands keeps the seven-speed manual standard and adds Bilstein position-sensitive dampers, a front stabilizer bar disconnect, full steel bash plates, and seven G.O.A.T. drive modes, Ford’s name for its terrain settings, including Rock Crawl and Baja. Ford lists the Sasquatch Package as available on the manual Base and Badlands. It brings locking front and rear axles, a 4.7 final drive, and 35-inch tires. The Heritage Edition gets the Sasquatch Package as standard, with retro bodyside graphics and an Oxford White top, and still comes with the stick.
The other clutch off-roaders
The Bronco’s direct rival still has three pedals too, as we covered in Jeep Priced the 2026 Wrangler at $36,035 and Kept the Clutch. Jeep pulled the manual from its pickup, which we covered in Jeep Priced the 2026 Gladiator at $39,820 and Left Out the Clutch, while Toyota still sells one, as in Toyota Priced the 2026 Tacoma TRD Off-Road Manual at $42,515 and Kept the Clutch. Our last Ford stick story was the 2026 Mustang Dark Horse at $64,080.
$40,795 before destination, 300 horsepower, removable doors and roof, and a 94.75:1 crawler gear you pick with your left foot. That’s the 2026 Bronco Base as Ford published it on ford.com.
Images courtesy of Ford, from Ford of Europe’s official Bronco press kit at bronco.fordpresskits.com. The photos show Bronco Badlands and two-door models and may not show the manual Base trim. Price and destination from Ford’s window sticker for a 2026 Bronco Base 4-door 4×4 with the seven-speed manual. Specs, trim-by-trim transmission availability, and equipment requirements from Ford’s 2026 Bronco, Bronco Base, and Bronco Badlands pages on ford.com, plus Ford’s 2020 Bronco launch release.
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