• Ford’s global in-car connectivity system SYNC® with MyFord Touch® provides the ultimate entertainment hub for an increasing number of Ford vehicles in China
• All-New Mondeo will come equipped with MyFord Touch, which will be available in English and Mandarin, allowing users to manage climate control, radio and CD-player using voice commands, 8-inch touchscreen and conventional button
• MyFord Touch, which now comes with an enhanced touch screen interface, can recognise 10,000 first-level voice commands
Get ready to be entertained.
Ford’s SYNC® with MyFord Touch® technology comes packed with more features than ever before, delivering the ultimate entertainment hub to a growing number of vehicles sporting the Blue Oval in China.
The all-new Mondeo is the latest Ford vehicle in China to come equipped with MyFord Touch, available in English and Mandarin, which allows a driver to interact with features such as climate control, radio, and CD-player using voice commands, an eight-inch colour touchscreen and also a conventional button.
“At Ford, we are constantly looking to develop new ways to develop the most advanced technologies in the world and bring them into the car,” said Rod Phillips, SYNC Engineering Manager, Ford Asia Pacific. “Consumers are always demanding even greater capability in their cars, and at Mobile Asia Expo visitors will see how Ford is at the forefront of technology development globally in the auto industry.”
More than 5 million Ford cars and trucks have been sold with SYNC since it was introduced in 2007, and with it becoming increasingly available in Asia and Europe, is projected to be fitted on an additional 9 million vehicles by 2015.
SYNC with MyFord Touch was first introduced in China on the Ford Edge three years ago, and then expanded to the Ford Kuga and the Ford Explorer, and now the all-new Mondeo.
MyFord Touch offers an advanced interface which combines the connectivity of SYNC with a full-colour 8-inch touch screen in the centre stack and two 4.2-inch LCD screens. The driver can easily access vehicle functions, settings and information easily through voice, the steering wheel controls or with a simple tap of the centre stack touch screen.
The latest version of MyFord Touch provides an enhanced touch screen interface that boasts simpler graphics and bolder text, while the response time from the touch screen is also faster than before.
By connecting a mobile phone via Bluetooth® or USB connection, MyFord Touch allows users to call their contacts with voice control by using their first name, last name, or both, while comprehensive contact information such as a contact’s address or email details can also be downloaded. To ensure privacy, contact information is only available when a phone is connected to the system, unlike embedded connectivity systems.
The advanced driver connect technology comes with a simplified voice recognition command structure. Utilising a flattened syntax, drivers can perform more tasks using fewer words, thanks to the improved SYNC vocabulary that recognises more than 10,000 voice commands.
MyFord Touch also allows users to listen to text messages from compatible phones and then send a reply using a list of pre-set responses. These responses can be edited and users can also create their own unique replies.
Partnering with Microsoft
For almost seven years, Ford has been working with Microsoft in developing an integrated communications and entertainment system that ensures customers remain connected to their digital lifestyles.
Critical to the success of SYNC with MyFord Touch has been Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive, a powerful software platform that provides Ford with the capability to develop a full portfolio of connectivity options, along with features that provide customers with an innovative and engaging experience.
“We are very proud of our partnership with Ford on SYNC. Together, we work to provide an intelligent vehicle solution that works with any device and connects the driver to their digital world. Most importantly, SYNC is upgradeable, allowing for new experiences and technologies to be added to their existing system,” said Steven Bridgeland, Senior Product Marketing Manager for Windows Embedded Automotive.
Emergency Assistance
The Kuga, Explorer and all-new Mondeo also come with Ford’s Emergency Assistance feature. When a phone is connected to SYNC it will phone the emergency call centre should an accident occur in which an airbag deploys or, in certain vehicles, the emergency fuel pump shutoff is activated. Because the Kuga, Explorer and all-new Mondeo also have MyFord Touch, they have the additional feature of a priority emergency screen that contains location information during the emergency call, along with quick-touch access to In Case of Emergency (ICE) contacts at the end of the call.
The benefits of MyFord Touch are not limited to the driver. A media hub comes fitted with three audio/video RCA jacks, an SD card slot and two USB ports.
For customers of the all-new Mondeo in China, MyFord Touch will give rear seat passengers the ability to control music through audio buttons installed in the centre armrest in the back.
