2016 Ford F-150 Turns Trailer Maneuvering Into Video Game With ‘Backup Assist’
Remember when power windows were considered luxuries in the automobile world? Times are changing and these days there are all kinds of fancy pants features out there, from cars that park themselves to ones that even drive on their own. Those technologies are still in development and won't become mainstream for quite some time, though there are other fun features available right now, like Ford's "Pro Trailer Backup Assist" technology.
It will be available on the 2016 Ford F-150 and what it does is allow the driver to steer the trailer with a control knob while the truck steers its wheels and limits the vehicle's speed. The idea is to make it easier to navigate a trailer. It's not an option that will be a huge deal for drivers who are experienced backing up a trailer, but for the new boat owner and others that aren't used to it, this could help avoid hairy situations, like hitting another vehicle or jackknifing.
"Pro Trailer Backup Assist is a smart solution to save time and increase productivity for our customers," said Doug Scott, marketing manager, Ford Truck Group. "Instead of struggling to back up their trailer, they can spend more time on the job or enjoying the lake."
Pretty nifty, and it's just one of several driver-assist technologies available on the 2016 F-150. Some others include Curve Control (reduces torque and applies four-wheel braking when entering a curve too fast), a lane keeping system that helps drivers avoid drifting into a neighboring lane, and adaptive cruise control with collision warning (maintains a consistent following distance).
It will be available on the 2016 Ford F-150 and what it does is allow the driver to steer the trailer with a control knob while the truck steers its wheels and limits the vehicle's speed. The idea is to make it easier to navigate a trailer. It's not an option that will be a huge deal for drivers who are experienced backing up a trailer, but for the new boat owner and others that aren't used to it, this could help avoid hairy situations, like hitting another vehicle or jackknifing.
"Pro Trailer Backup Assist is a smart solution to save time and increase productivity for our customers," said Doug Scott, marketing manager, Ford Truck Group. "Instead of struggling to back up their trailer, they can spend more time on the job or enjoying the lake."
Pretty nifty, and it's just one of several driver-assist technologies available on the 2016 F-150. Some others include Curve Control (reduces torque and applies four-wheel braking when entering a curve too fast), a lane keeping system that helps drivers avoid drifting into a neighboring lane, and adaptive cruise control with collision warning (maintains a consistent following distance).
