Today, Ford introduced the Bronco Everglades. This special four-door model comes with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine, the Sasquatch Package, marine vinyl seats, wash-out rubber floor, modular front bumper, hardtop with a roof rack, and some other things that are available on other models. What makes it special are unique wheels, square fenders, a snorkel, and a winch.

That Bronco Everglades snorkel is very interesting. It’s not commonly known that there are two types of snorkels, or more specifically snorkel intakes. The most common one is the one with an intake facing the front of the vehicle. It is used in clean air environments as a way to get air into the engine while the vehicle is fording water. It also works as a ram-air intake at higher speeds.

The second type of snorkel inlet is one with the air intake inlet is facing the rear. Those are designed for dusty places, such as deserts, where a leading vehicle kicks up a cloud of dust. Some snorkels allow the user to flip the top scoop around, depending on conditions, some don’t.

The Bronco Everglades snorkel is the reversible kind but it does not have an intake scoop. Instead, the intake is a mesh screen on the top front part of the tube. In the back of the tube is another opening but it has a backing plate on it. That backing plate can be removed and swapped with the front mesh when traveling on dusty roads. Clever, and there is no top scoop that can be lost on trails.

In order for this Ford to ford deeper waters, Ford added raised breathers to the axles, transfer case, and transmission. Those raised vents allow this Ford to ford waters as deep as 36.4 inches. That’s more than three feet! That’s a lot! Those are frequently overlooked by DIY 4×4 rig makers.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of snorkels. On a modern vehicle, the maximum fording depth is usually directed by the location of electronics and the ignition systems. And perhaps this is why the Everglades is only available with the 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. Its ignition coils and spark plugs are higher up than those on the V6. Still, it’s odd that the highest-priced Bronco (short of the Bronco Raptor) is powered by a four-cylinder engine.