Ford said that its next-gen Ranger will be the smartest

Well, if that large infotainment screen on the dash is anything to go by, then one should believe it. “Customers had an overwhelming response to the next-gen Ranger’s new interior design and the technologies our teams had integrated on the inside,” said Graham Pearson, Ranger vehicle programme director. An 8-inch colour, reconfigurable, digital instrument panel allows more information to be presented to the driver than an analog system. Additionally, the large-format, 10.1- or 12-inch infotainment screens, featuring Ford’s cutting-edge SYNC 4A communication and entertainment system, have helped declutter the dashboard. Ranger’s electric parking brake and first-in-class e-shifter bring a more tech feel to the interior and allow greater accessibility and space to drivers. The FordPass ii app enables owners to use their smartphone to organise things like service scheduling, remote start, vehicle location, vehicle health alerts, remote locking or unlocking, and activating the heating or cooling to the previously set temperature. Smarter and intuitive connectivity with SYNC 4Aiii This system offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity and displays the latest features used to make the SYNC4A system easier to navigate. If the customer has cellular coverage, SYNC 4A can provide real-time information like fuel pricing, traffic alerts and more. Whether the next-gen Ranger is equipped with a 10.1- or a best-in-class 12-inch infotainment screen, there’s a customisable split-screen setup with an information-on-demand panel always available at the bottom of the screen. Look all around The screen is linked to a 360-degree camera to make parking a breeze in tight urban spaces or to assist when negotiating particularly tricky terrain while out exploring. The system allows the driver to see what’s in front of or behind the vehicle as well as a top-down view of the area around the vehicle, including blind spots, for added confidence. Owners now have access to wirelessly charging. Smartphones also can be charged via a cable to a USB port or with the available 12V/240V sockets and the 400W inverter that bring power to the box. The sound from a B&O sound system with 10-speakers and a 660-watt amplifier will certainly satisfy all music connoisseurs. Quotes Chris Clarke, connectivity applications supervisor, “We’ve not only made the next-gen Ranger smarter, but we’ve enhanced the user experience. Whether it’s being able to control certain vehicle features from your smartphone via the FordPas ii app, or the inclusion of new-generation infotainment, we’ve improved the interface between driver and vehicle.” George Christopoulos, SYNC application engineer, “The new SYNC®i 4A screens are a huge change for Ranger, and the addition of the latest-generation SYNC 4A system delivers the sort of experience that customers expect from their smartphones. It’s got more computing power and better machine learning, and it’s more intuitive for users. More than that, we’ve been able to declutter the dashboard and make accessing vehicle settings both easier and quicker.” Video link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbReHKFiDxo Source: QuickPic