MELBOURNE, Australia, September 27, 2023 – The new Ford Ranger and Everest are equipped for action, with advanced four-wheel drive technology, sophisticated drive modes and chassis enhancements that make off-road adventures easier than ever before.

“Our aim with Ranger and Everest was to make them capable on- and off-road and ensure they met the needs of all four-wheel drive adventurers whether they’re using these vehicles for work, family or play,” said Rob Hugo, dynamic experiences supervisor, Ford Ranger and Everest.

Customers have a choice of two four-wheel drive systems, an electronic shift-on-the-fly system, or advanced full-time 4WD system with a reassuring set-and-forget mode, designed for capability when and where customers need it.

Ford’s Advanced 4WD system is an automatic on-demand system with four settings – 2H, 4A, 4H and 4L. When set to 4A (4WD Auto), the on-demand system is fully active and constantly monitors traction conditions, sending a proportional amount of torque to the front wheels as needed. It is also the default 4WD mode for many of Ranger and Everest’s Selectable Drive Modes and has unique calibrations for each drive mode.

Off-road attribute leader at Ford, Tim Postgate believes the introduction of 4A makes the Everest or Ranger owner’s experience easier and safer.

“The driver can select four-wheel drive automatic (4A) and head off down the highway, down a country road, over a snowy mountain or across a sand dune with confidence,” said Postgate.

The Advanced 4WD system uses an electromechanical transfer case with a multi-plate clutch pack to distribute power between the front and rear wheels, varying the torque split from 0:100 percent to 50:50 percent. The system’s default drive nominally aims for 40:60 front to rear split but it will send more torque to the front under hard acceleration from a standstill to minimise wheelspin. It will also adjust torque if it senses the vehicle is sliding or the rear wheels are spinning.

The system also remains locked when you switch the engine off, which means the handbrake and park pawl system work on all four wheels on shutdown.

“What we’ve done is introduce a system that flatters the novice and enhances the expert,” said Postgate.

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