Ford’s performance calibration adds 30 horsepower and 60 pound-feet of torque to the Bronco’s 2.3-liter turbo four engine. After implementing the calibration, our long-term Ford Bronco hit 60 mph in 6.9 seconds, four tenths faster than before. It was surprising that the plug-in tuner increased the Bronco’s fuel efficiency to 21 mpg on our 75-mph highway test from 19 mpg. Everybody needs more power, speed, and gas mileage. We need more, too. We bought the 2.3-liter EcoBoost Performance Calibration kit from Ford Performance for our long-term 2022 Ford Bronco Badlands to see if a simple software update could improve the turbocharged engine’s performance. You can download the calibration software from Ford Performance with a ticket that comes with the $825 calibration kit. The ProCal 4 delivery tool can be bought separately for $495. Installation is easy once the tool is hooked up to the Bronco’s OBDII port. The three-year/36,000-mile powertrain warranty is still good if an ASE-certified expert or dealer does the reprogramming. California, I’m sorry. This song has not been given to you. However, Ford won’t say how much more power the software adds, even though the gauge shows a big boost. The reflash raises the power to 330 horsepower and the peak torque to 385 pound-feet, which are increases of 30 and 60, respectively. Along the torque and horsepower paths, there is also more power. The turbo four really wakes up the off-roader and makes it easier to drive. We didn’t even have to leave the parking lot to see this. The calibration kit also comes with rev-matched downshifts for Broncos like ours, which have seven-speed manual gears. Our 5073-pound Bronco finished the final test at 60 mph in 7.3 seconds. However, it is worth noting that the calibration kit cut that time by 0.4 seconds, letting the car reach the same speed in 6.9 ticks. It took the same amount of time to go from 5 to 60 mph. However, it was easy to see the 2.3-liter’s extra power during the 30-to-50-mph and the 50-to-70-mph top-gear acceleration tests. We would still be downshifting in real life, but both tests were done about two seconds faster. Downshifts that match the revs, hey. Even though the Bronco didn’t do as well in our 75-mph fuel economy test, we were pleased with its new lines of code. Because it was smarter, the Bronco got 21 mpg, which is 23% more than the EPA’s highway figure of 17 mpg and 2 mpg more than the test results from when the engine was calibrated at the factory. The Ford Performance ProCal 4 tool is more than just a way to get software. It can also be used to find problems and make sure that the speedometer is set correctly for changes in tire size and axle ratio. The OBDII connector lets you see and record data in real-time, and it comes with an easy-to-use suction cup window adapter. The tool is tied to the vehicle identification number (VIN), which means it can’t be used on other Ford goods as an extra screen or even for diagnostics. This means that you will need to buy a second ProCal tool instead of just another software code if you decide to buy a second Bronco and want the extra power. That seems silly to us. The tuning kit is important for all Bronco owners who want to get the most out of their car. If you own a Bronco V-6, please know that you are still remembered. Ford Performance tuned the twin-turbo 2.7-liter V-6 engine to make 355 hp and 433 lb-ft of power. This isn’t quite the same as the Ford Bronco Raptor passion, but it should be enough to wake up the six.
