March 11, 2022

The Next-Generation Ford Ranger Can Pretty Much Drive Itself


No matter if you’re at work, with family or at play, safety is paramount, and the next-generation Ford Ranger will offer some of the latest in crash protection features and driver assistance technologies delivering more confidence on the road.

This combination of passive and active safety features, such as vehicle structure and air bags, and driver assistance technologies, to help you avoid a collision in the first place, are at the heart of Ford’s next generation Ranger.

Ford engineers spent thousands of hours developing and testing next-gen Ranger’s safety features, both via computer modelling and the most comprehensive physical testing program ever conducted by Ford outside of Europe and the US.

A significant number of computer-aided engineering (CAE) models were built to test various accident scenarios, including full-frontal, frontal offset, pole test, rear offset crash tests, pedestrian impacts, roof crush tests, and more. Additionally, the team conducted hundreds of physical tests to ensure vehicle safety performance was met and to validate the CAE modelling.


Some of the key features found in the next-generation Ranger include:

Post-Collision Braking

Ford’s post-collision braking system applies the brakes after a collision to reduce the risk of secondary collisions. The system automatically engages with moderate brake pressure when an initial collision has occurred.

Enhanced Pre-Collision Assist

Pre-collision Assist uses both the new, wide-view windscreen-mounted camera and radar located near the front bumper to scan the road ahead to detect a potential collision with another vehicle, pedestrian, or cyclist directly in front of your vehicle. If an imminent collision is detected the system emits an audible and visual warning. If the driver’s response is not sufficient the Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB) system will activate automatically.

Evasive Steer Assist

A segment-first feature, Evasive Steer Assist helps the driver avoid potential collisions with a slower or stopped vehicle ahead by providing a boost to the steering. This allows the driver to steer with less effort when a collision cannot be avoided by braking alone. The system is designed to operate at both urban and highway speeds and employs the same camera and radar used with the Pre-collision Assist feature.

Reverse Brake Assist

Reverse Brake Assist helps drivers to avoid or mitigate potential collisions while reversing. The system may detect moving vehicles or stationary pedestrians and objects behind the Ranger. The system can apply the brakes to briefly stop the vehicle should the driver not react in time.

BLIS

Ford Ranger customers like to tow, so the team has enhanced the blind spot information system (BLIS), which is like having another ‘set of eyes’ when performing a lane change or merging onto a freeway. If a faster-moving vehicle enters the Ranger’s blind spot zone, BLIS will alert the driver via a small light in the side mirror, so they know not to change lanes.

Lane-Keeping System with Road Edge Detection

Designed for use on rural roads at speeds from 65km/h, road edge detection uses a front camera to monitor road edges 50 metres in front of the vehicle, day, or night. Where a paved road becomes a soft verge, gravel hard shoulder or grass, the system provides gentle steering support as required, to prevent the vehicle drifting off the road. If the driver is still too close to the edge following initial steering support, the system vibrates the steering wheel, prompting the driver to steer back into the middle of their lane.

Cross Traffic Alert

Tricky reversing situations are a little less stressful with the next-gen Ford Ranger’s Cross Traffic Alert system. When a driver shifts into Reverse, the system is active, and will alert the driver of a vehicle approaching from the sides, when reversing out of a driveway onto a street, or from a busy supermarket parking spot for example.

Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop-and-Go

New to the Ford Ranger is adaptive cruise control with a stop-and-go feature, which lets drivers set a cruising speed in the next-gen Ford Ranger and then maintain a set pacing distance from the vehicle ahead. When that vehicle slows down, the Ranger does too, even down to a stop in traffic; when traffic picks up speed, the Ranger resumes its pre-set speed and distance.

The system also features Lane Centering Assist, which uses an onboard camera to detect lane markings and provides continued steering assistance to help you keep your vehicle centered in the lane. Additional features of this technology include: distance indication, distance alert, and lane-keeping system.

The next-generation Ford Ranger will enter production towards the middle of this year. Its Philippine launch will likely happen in the third or fourth quarter of 2022.

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