Tried & Tested - IDrive Throttle Controller from Ultimate 9 EVC

We couldn’t wait to review one of these little bad boys. So as soon as we could we slapped one in a Ford Ranger to test out exactly what this Throttle controller from Ultimate 9 EVC is all about. It measures 3cm in length, 2cm in width & is only a few mm's thick, but for something so small it sure does make a huge difference to the acceleration power and throttle control in your vehicle.  

Out of the box you get your throttle controller, it comes with the piggyback adapter, a sticker, two tiny cable ties to keep your wires neat and instructions. The only tools you need to hook it all up is an alcohol wipe to clean the area where you want to mount the iDrive to your dash. 

A couple of the cool features of the iDrive is that it so easy to install, anyone can do it. Simply plug and play and watch it work its magic. It works by simply intercepting your electronic throttle, so all you have to do is unplug your throttle cable, plug your piggyback cable into the electric throttle and then plug it into the IDrive Ultimate 9 EVC throttle controller. 

The driver of the Ranger personally prefers driving around in ultimate 1 – we find this to be a good balance between fuel economy and responsiveness, whilst also taking away all the throttle lag that most common rail diesels experience. There are 3 modes, we recommend test driving all of them to get a good understanding of each one.  

Ultimate mode is essentially a 'performance mode' where you can choose to increase your throttle responsiveness. Setting 9 being ideal for situations where you need that extra burst of power and control to get you out of a muddy bog hole. Or when towing a caravan up a hill, setting 5 provides a more progressive response.  

Economy mode - quite simply saves on fuel, it subdues the throttle response, which is better for precision driving, finessing a parallel park or when accelerating and stopping in traffic. It is also able to keep a steady momentum to avoid sinking in sand or muddy bog holes when your foot is jerking involuntarily. 

Automatic mode - the iDrive will select the appropriate throttle mapping based on throttle position and speed on input. It offers a unique and adaptive response to suit the drivers needs, however it does require some getting used to, so we recommend driving around for a few weeks to see what you prefer. But, if nan jumps in the car just to pop down to the shops in this mode, chances are she won't have a heart attack when she puts her foot on the peddle.