Ford Bronco II XLS Trim

1984-1985 Ford Bronco II XLS

The Ford Bronco II XLS was the sporty version of the Bronco II offered for the 1984 and 1985 model years. Ford gave the XLS a distinctive appearance with blacked-out exterior trim, special three-color body striping, unique interior appointments and additional instrumentation.

The XLS was discontinued after the 1985 model year. Ford later introduced the XL Sport for 1988, which used some of the same lower-body and rocker-panel molding treatment as the earlier XLS. Despite that visual similarity, the XL Sport was a different model and the XLS was no longer available.

XLS Exterior

The XLS was designed to stand out from other Bronco II models with a predominantly black exterior treatment and special graphics.

Factory XLS exterior features included:

• Special XLS color schemes
• Three-color “XLS” tape striping along the lower bodysides
• Rocker-panel molding extensions
• Front air dam
• Completely blacked-out grille and grille surround
• Black front and rear bumpers
• Black bumper end caps
• Deluxe wheel trim

The combination of the blacked-out grille and bumpers, three-color XLS stripe and rocker-panel moldings gives the XLS its distinctive appearance.

XLS Interior

Ford also gave the XLS its own interior treatment rather than simply adding exterior graphics to an otherwise standard Bronco II.

The XLS featured:

• Fully cloth-trimmed door panels
• Color-keyed door-panel molding
• Carpeted door-panel inserts
• Integrated map pockets
• Bright interior trim highlights
• Color-keyed deluxe steering wheel
• Color-keyed instrument panel
• Color-keyed flocking in the instrument-panel storage bin

The extensive color-keyed treatment gave the XLS a distinctive appearance inside as well as outside.

XLS Instrumentation

The XLS also received a more complete array of gauges than a basic Bronco II.

The factory equipment included:

• Alternator charging gauge
• Oil-pressure gauge
• Engine-temperature gauge
• Resettable trip odometer

(1985 Ford Bronco II XLS)

XLS vs. XL Sport

Ford discontinued the XLS after the 1985 model year. When the XL Sport was introduced for 1988, it brought a similar sporty appearance back to the Bronco II, including similar lower-body and rocker-panel molding treatment.

The two should not be confused when identifying an early Bronco II, but the visual similarities are worth noting.

(1988 Ford Bronco II XL Sport)

A Unique Early Bronco II

The XLS is one of the most distinctive early Bronco II models because Ford didn’t create its sporting character simply by adding a decal package. The factory gave it a coordinated combination of blacked-out exterior trim, three-color graphics, special moldings, unique interior treatment and additional instrumentation.

The XLS is also one of the more difficult Bronco II models to find today. Surviving examples are often missing some of their original XLS-specific trim, particularly the front air dam. The front air dam is particularly vulnerable to damage because of its location low on the front of the vehicle, and replacement pieces can be difficult to find today.

One interesting detail of the XLS front air dam is the pair of openings in the lower section. They look like they were designed to accommodate auxiliary driving lights, but Ford did not install driving lights in those openings as part of the factory XLS equipment.

That doesn’t mean the openings can’t be put to good use. When I was working on an XLS project, I found small LED driving lights that fit neatly into the openings, giving the original air dam a useful modern upgrade without substantially changing its appearance.

For anyone restoring an XLS, retaining the original air dam is worthwhile. It is one of the details that helps distinguish the XLS from an ordinary early Bronco II and gives the vehicle much of its original sporting appearance.

Related Articles

Ford Bronco II History

Bronco II Trim Levels & Packages