After a massive hiatus, the Ford Bronco returned in the summer of this year. Alongside the full-fledged off-roader, we got the smaller crossover-based Bronco Sport. Despite offering impressive off-road capabilities, the Sport model started at a significantly lower base price. According to CarsDirect reported by Motor1, however, the smaller model already received a minor price bump as of December 23rd.

How much more expensive if the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport?

The 2021 Ford Bronco Sport carries with it a base price of $26,660. This puts it slightly below the larger Bronco’s $28,500 base price. However, CarsDirect reports that the price of the smaller will change on December 23. The total price increase will result in the crossover costing you an extra $160. Since this increase isn’t specific to any trim level, it means all Bronco Sport models will become slightly more expensive as we move into 2021. While this increase may seem quite small, it could represent a massive deal for Ford.

Given that the Ford Bronco Sport will compete in the same segment as the widely popular Escape, let’s take its sales figures as an example. According to CarSalesBase, the American carmaker managed to sell 241,388 Escape models in 2019. If we assume the Bronco Sport is equally as popular, the $160 increase per SUV could result in massive gains for the company.

Unfortunately, this minor price increase won’t see the addition of new features or extras. CarsDirect warns that if you see two different prices at dealerships for the same vehicles, this is why.

Why did Ford raise the price so slightly?

Although there is no specific reasoning as to why the Ford Bronco Sport got a price bump, CarsDirect reports the manufacturer’s official comment. According to CarsDirect, Ford said in a letter to dealers that the changes are “to keep the Ford & Lincoln brands competitive and aggressively positioned.” Thankfully, it seems the full-size Bronco remains unaffected, as do the rest of the brand’s vehicles.

This brings us neatly on to Lincoln, which will also see a minor price increase across various models. According to CarsDirect, the affected Lincoln SUVs are the 2021 Corsair and 2021 Aviator. These will see an increase of $160 and $170 respectively.

CarsDirect notes that price increases toward the beginning of a new year are by no means strange. However, the unusual part is that the Bronco Sport was announced less than six months ago and only recently reached dealerships. As a result, the majority of Bronco buyers in 2021 will pay the elevated price.

Thankfully there are great financing deals for the SUV

There is a significant upside to the model before we get too down on this Ford Bronco Sport. Given the excellent feedback by reviewers and tremendous capabilities, the small Bronco should definitely be on your radar. As a result, you’ll want to take a look at some of the available financing deals before heading to the dealership.

According to CarsDirect, you can qualify for 0 percent APR if you finance through Ford Credit. This means if you opt for 48-month financing, you won’t have to pay interest. Alternatively, 60-month and 72-month loans are currently available with 1.9 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively. The positive note here is that while you’ll pay an extra $160 upfront, you can save big on interest when buying Ford’s newest off-roading SUV.