All-New Ford Ranger's Got Your Back

MELBOURNE – March 7, 2011: The all-new Ford Ranger has resolved one of the problems of high-riding pickups – limited rear vision when reversing.

An innovative Rear View Camera System, which will be available on selected models of the new Ranger, shows you what's going on at the back via a video image on the rear view mirror. Drivers can stop fretting about reversing into obstacles that don't show up in the side mirrors or a typical rear view mirror.

Positioned to provide a clear view of the rear of the pickup, Ranger's wide-angle camera sends images to a parking camera screen incorporated within the electro-chromatic rear view mirror.

The screen becomes visible in a section of the rear view mirror when reverse gear is engaged. The camera's low-light capability, combined with the intensity of the vehicle's reversing lamps helps illuminate the image even in dark parking areas.

Drivers can also reverse even more safely and accurately thanks to marker lines superimposed on the screen image, showing the path of the vehicle based on the current steering angle.

Two yellow lines indicate the total width of the pickup including mirrors, along with additional coloured bars that sign-post distances of 0.3 metres, 1 metre and 2 metres. A black dotted line that marks the pickup's centre line assists the driver in lining up a tow hook with a caravan or trailer.

"With the Rear View Camera System, reversing has never been easier. It's a great feature to help drivers detect obstacles on construction sites or in the driveway of your home," Ranger Launch Leader, Electrical Engineering, Craig Sprenger, said.

"The lines that mark Ranger's size make it so much simpler to reverse into tight parking spots, and the centre line takes the guesswork out of hooking up to a trailer."

Selected models of Ford's latest global compact pickup will also be available with a Rear Park Assist feature that uses ultrasonic sensors in the rear bumper to measure the distance to the nearest objects.

When the sensors detect an object, the radio will beep at a rate proportional to the distance between the vehicle and the object. The closer you get to the object, the faster the beeps repeat until they turn into a continuous tone as a warning to stop.

Designed and developed in Australia, Ranger is the first pickup to be built under the One Ford strategy as part of a global product program bringing together the full engineering expertise of Ford around the world.

This gave Ranger engineers access to global electrical architecture, allowing them to put many smart technologies that are already available in the Ford world, such as the Rear View Camera System, into the pickup.

In fact, Ranger is one of the first Ford pickups in the Asia Pacific and Africa region to offer the advanced Rear View Camera System.

"The One Ford strategy has given the world a better truck with exceptional power, towing and payload capability and outstanding fuel efficiency," Sprenger said. "Now with eyes on the rear, Ranger's certainly got your back."