Ford has launched the new Bronco Trail App for smartphones, designed to add a modern touch to your off-roading adventures.
These days, there are plenty of car apps for your smartphone – we’ve even made a whole article about some of our favorites, which you can read here. Above all else, the ones which always stand out to us and other like-minded enthusiasts are those which help to make car ownership more fun. And, upon first impressions, fun appears to be the Bronco Trail App’s bread and butter…
I don’t know about you, but I wouldn’t know where to start when planning an off-road adventure. Happily though, if you own a current-gen Ford Bronco, that conundrum is now a thing of the past. The Bronco Trail App is all about encouraging you to get the most out of your car, and in the Bronco’s case, that means heading off tarmac and onto less-trodden paths.
The app currently features around 1200 professionally curated off-road trails, spanning approximately 18,000 miles across the USA, Canada and Mexico. Though, with the Bronco set to arrive in left-hand drive European markets later this year, we wouldn’t be surprised to see some alpine routes added to that list further down the line.
App Features
Along those routes, the app will point out scenic points of interest, various waypoints to keep you on track, and suggested beauty spots which make it even easier to find the perfect photo location. You can then add your own content such as personalized waypoints, photos and notes to your saved routes.
If you don’t wish to solely rely on the Bronco Trail App’s waypoints to get you where you need to go, other navigation includes satellite imagery and 2D topographic maps of each route. You can then download these directly to your phone, which is handy for when going off-grid.
Another impressive feature of the Bronco Trail App, which indicates that it’s been designed by people that really know what they’re doing, is the in-built tire pressure gauge. As you may know, experienced off-roaders recommend that certain terrain requires different tire pressures for optimal vehicle performance. This app has that data stored within it for each route, so there’s no guesswork involved. And, if you do need to make adjustments, the in-built gauge naturally allows you to keep track of your pressures that little bit easier.
Video Recordings
To round off what is a pretty desirable app, there is also the ability to record video footage of your adventure, with data overlayed on top of the image. This includes analytics such as speed, RPM, distance traveled, and elevation; all of which helps to add context to your videos when you watch them back. All you need to do is mount your smartphone as if it were a dash cam.
The Bronco Trail App is available for both iOS and Android devices, but unlike some other marque-built apps (like ROADS by Porsche), you do have to own a modern Ford Bronco to use it – authenticated through connection with your FordPass account. In fact, not even owners of other all-terrain Ford models have the privilege of being granted access. So, it’s an exclusive Bronco-only club – which is a bit of a shame, as there’s some great functions and features that off-roaders with all sorts of vehicles would love.
We’ll let Matt Winter, Bronco Brand Manager, have the final word:
“The Bronco Trail App is the perfect companion for those looking to get the most out of their Bronco, especially when they go off the beaten path. We know our customers value the time they take to go out there and get away from it all, and this app offers them an easy way to share the exciting experiences they have and connect with other off-roaders.”
