The 2023 Ford Bronco starts at $34,890. The 2024 Ford Bronco will start at $39,130.

That looks like an eyebrow-raising price increase. But a little digging shows that the actual price jump is not what it seems.

Why? Because Ford has eliminated the bare-bones Base model from its Bronco lineup entirely for 2024. The least-expensive Bronco offered in 2024 will be the Big Bend model, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) going unchanged from 2023.

The Base trim that dealers won’t stock anymore gave buyers the off-road skills they wanted in a Bronco but not much else. It wasn’t quite as spartan as the base model Jeep Wrangler — still available with hand-crank windows and manual door locks even in 2024. The Bronco at least included power windows and single-zone manual air conditioning. It rode on 16-inch steel wheels.

The new point of entry, the Bronco Big Bend, makes dual-zone climate control available as an option. It rides on 17-inch wheels and includes a few creature comforts, like a leather-wrapped steering wheel and LED fog lights.

The end of the Bronco Base trim is in keeping with a new Ford strategy. Ford Vice President of Product Development, Operations, and Quality Jim Baumbick told a gathering of industry insiders in the spring that Ford was banking on building a lot of Bronco special editions to keep consumer interest in the retro-styled off-roader high.

The company already lists nine models for 2024 on its current configurator, with prices pushing $90,000 for the hypercapable Bronco Raptor off-roader.