Ford will be revealing its third-generation SYNC communications system at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona – and it’ll let you check the weather on the move, find the nearest coffee shop, and even earn money by delivering packages.
Using an 8-inch touchscreen, SYNC 3 uses ‘conversational’ voice commands to provide assistance while driving. For example, the driver would just need to press a button and say ‘I need a coffee’ for the navigation to reset to a nearby coffee shop.
This could also be used to find petrol stations, car parks, airports and hotels.
Further features, such as the ability to record and share audio clips as well as check the weather on the move and earn money by delivering packages will be accessible via SYNC’s AppLink.
Ford of Europe’s Electronic and Electrical Systems Engineering chief engineer, Christof Kellerwessel, said: “With pinch-to-zoom and swipe gestures, plus the familiar one-box-search we know from internet search engines, SYNC 3 provides customers with an experience on the vehicle screen very similar to smartphone screens, and is easier and more intuitive.”
Drivers of 15 million vehicles worldwide already use Ford SYNC’s in-car features – and the company says it’s drawn on more than 22,000 comments to make SYNC 3 more user-friendly.
The process has been simplified, with navigation, audio and phone all easier to access with fewer steps required for each command. This will be welcome news to users of its current SYNC 2 system.
Kellerwessel added: “Whether you are craving your morning cappuccino on your daily commute or covering the cost of a journey by transporting a package, SYNC 3 brings to life innovative new ways of staying connected on the move.
“Designed to complement modern smartphones, with an intuitive touch screen, SYNC 3 understands more conversational speech, is faster, and offers an easier-to-read graphical interface.”
SYNC 3 will be compatible with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay – and will be capable of automatically receiving updates via your home’s WiFi network when your car’s parked in the garage.
The system will make its debut in the new Ford Kuga at MWC2016, with European launches taking place as soon as summer across Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy models.
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