The Trail Maps feature of the new Bronco provides easy off-road navigation.
Available on the popular 8- and 12-inch Sync infotainment screens, the formula allows Bronco drivers to choose off-road maps from NeoTreks AccuTerra Maps, Trails Offroad or FunTreks. I like the concept of a map arranged here, provided through “the most productive trail guides in the country,” according to Ford. Often, when I look at trail guides, it’s hard to discern the point of tricky. One person’s intermediary is complex through another. An organized trail combined with the demonstration of survey features gives drivers enough data to decide a direction tailored to their skill point.
Sharing trails deserves to be quite stupid too. It can be difficult to describe a trail to your friends (despite those known as Rubicon Trail), and just being able to digitally record the trail through the FordPass Performance app for your flying friend will be an easy way to share your experience. And if your friends don’t have the app, which is free, by the way, you can export your address as a GPX record and percentage that way. Better yet, you can also import GPX records, so if someone has discovered a secret and great track, they can get the information. You can then load this path into your library so that you’re ready.
FTW overlapping data!
All this sharing skill means Trail Maps can help you when you’re looking to meet friends in remote locations. Assuming you can enjoy a few seconds of connectivity, sharing a trail can give newcomers the precise direction taken by the rest of the group. This way, it would possibly not be located on a ridge above the outdoor party because it took the left fork instead of the right. Plus, you know that if your friend’s all-wheel-drive Subaru Crosstrek hits the site, your two-door Bronco Badlands won’t have any problems.
Ford says Trail Maps can collect knowledge of your vehicle, such as engine speed and speed, and overlay that knowledge on video recorded from your phone. You can also mark the situations of the trail – hey, big rock here – and share all this data with your friends. This type of report may be essential off-road. My elevated Miata can access many places, however, if I know in advance that there is a fallen tree on the other side of the road, I will take some other route.
One thing that makes me think here is the use of embossed cards in the media. I asked Ford if there was a genuine topographic view with point turns, but I haven’t gained a reaction yet. Topographic lines are a must when navigating an unknown path. For example, if you see on the map that a path passes directly over a feature with many toposurfaces placed near each other, you will know that it is a steep path. However, if the lines are more spaced, the climb is smoother. If you’re not a fan of steep climbs, you can opt for the simplest direction and avoid pickles.
Survey lines can also tell you the maximum elevation, which is useful when collecting supplies. No one likes to start at an altitude of 5,000 feet and unknowingly position themselves at 10,000 feet when they have no idea to bring a jacket. You can get some of this data from an elevated map, but be more informed about topographic lines and be better prepared.
Now, do they deserve to depend on those navigation systems? Absolutely not. Of course, those electronic cards will work even without connectivity, but I still like paper cards for several reasons. You can write notes about it and it’s usually less difficult to get a review of where you are. In addition, you get the additional benefits of these important survey lines. Add a compass and you can locate your way through a traffic jam, even if it’s old school. The most productive and secure map setup is probably a combination of new and old technologies: the Trail Maps app with a paper map backup.