Unlike most SUVs, the Ford Bronco looks like a genuine trail-ready machine and has the off-road chops to back that image up. But heading into the wilderness can be daunting for an overloading noob, so Ford has created an app to help owners break free from the blacktop.
Unveiled during the 2023 Bronco Safari in Utah, the Bronco Trail App launches with 1,200 special maps covering 18,000 miles (29,000 km) of trails in the U.S, Canada, and Mexico at launch, but Ford plans to add more trails and more features in the coming months. Users can filter the trails by location, length, and difficulty and can add waypoints, photos, and notes about a journey once they’ve completed a track.
The app allows you to download satellite imagery and 2D topographic maps so you can be ready for what lies ahead and still access that info even if you’re offline, and a real-time tire pressure gauge built into the app helps you adjust the pressures if the trail you’re tackling recommends airing down for better traction.
Related: Ford Is Readying More Versions Of The Bronco As It Closes Sales Gap To Wrangler
But the app’s biggest feature, besides the trail maps, is its video capture facility. Drivers fix their smartphone in a suitable spot so that the phone’s camera can pick up the action, which is then overlayed with data like speed, engine RPM, distance traveled, and elevation. Once the recording is saved it can be viewed on the app, on the car’s screen if the phone is connected to it, or shared to social media or Bronco forums.
The app is completely free and works on both Apple and Android devices. But before Explorer drivers (or even Jeep owners) start getting excited at the prospect of getting their hands on a really cool bit of overloading software for free, they should know there is one rather obvious catch. As the name suggests, the Bronco Trail App is only available to Bronco owners.
