Ford SYNC 3 | Hacienda Ford

FORD SYNC 3 DELIVERS NEW, INNOVATIVE WAYS FOR PEOPLE TO STAY CONNECTED WITH THEIR LIVES WHILE ON THE MOVE

•  SYNC® 3 – Ford’s new communications and entertainment system – features faster performance, more conversational voice recognition, a more intuitive smartphone-like touch screen and easier-to-understand graphical interface to help Ford customers connect and control their smartphone on the road

• Also new: seamless integration of AppLink™ for a simple way to control smartphone apps, the addition of Siri Eyes-Free capability for iPhone users, over-the-air software updates using Wi-Fi, and enhanced 911 Assist® that provides subscription-free emergency calling in the event of a significant accident

Ford today introduced SYNC® 3, a new communications and entertainment system that is faster, more intuitive and easier to use with enhanced response to driver commands.

SYNC 3’s more conversational voice recognition technology, a more smartphone-like touch screen and easy-to-read graphics will help millions of drivers connect with their lives and control their smartphone while on the road.

The next-generation system builds on the capability of SYNC technology already in more than 10 million SYNC-equipped vehicles on the road globally. SYNC 3 begins arriving on new vehicles next year.

“Ford is delivering an easier way for customers to stay connected,” said Raj Nair, Ford chief technical officer and group vice president, Global Product Development. “SYNC 3 is another step forward in delivering connectivity features customers most want, and they tell us this kind of technology is an important part of their decision to buy our vehicles.”

Ford took a customer-centric approach in developing SYNC 3, drawing on 22,000 customer comments and suggestions, plus insights gleaned from research clinics, market surveys and tech industry benchmarking.

Intuitive interface

Although SYNC 3 is optimized for hands-free use, an all-new touch screen delivers an experience similar to a smartphone or tablet.

Quicker response to touch as well as voice commands and smartphone-like gestures including pinch-to-zoom and swipe are central to SYNC 3, along with crisp, modern graphics.

A bright background and large buttons with high-contrast fonts for daytime use help reduce screen washout in the sun. At night, the display automatically switches to a dark background to help reduce eye fatigue and minimize reflections on the windows.

“We considered all the modern smartphones and mobile operating systems and created something familiar but unique,” said Parrish Hanna, Ford global director of Human Machine Interface.

SYNC 3 reduces on-screen complexity and prioritizes the control options customers use most.

The home screen features three zone choices – Navigation, Audio and Phone. Tile-like icons dominate the screen, with a quick access function tray along the bottom making for a more straight-forward user experience.

Phone contacts are searchable via a simple swipe of the finger to scroll through the alphabet. With “One Box Search,” SYNC 3 users can look up points of interest or enter addresses in much the same way they use an Internet search engine.

“Simplicity has value,” said Hanna. “Reducing the number of things on-screen also makes control easier and is designed to limit the number of times a driver has to glance at the screen.”

Easy-to-use voice recognition

Ford SYNC – the industry’s first system to widely and most affordably offer voice-activated technology to control smartphones – becomes more capable with the next-generation system by minimizing the number of steps needed to carry out a command.

With SYNC 3, simply saying “play <song, artist, album or genre>” prompts the system to play the desired song, artist, playlist or album; there is no need to identify the desired category. To switch back to a radio station, the user just says the name of the SiriusXM station or terrestrial radio station number.

Voice search results are enhanced by a better understanding of how consumers refer to businesses and points of interest. Drivers don’t have to know an exact name. They can search for “Detroit Airport” rather than using the official name “Detroit Metropolitan Airport.” With addresses, they can say, “Eleven Twenty-Five Main Street” instead of “One One Two Five Main Street.”

When connected to an Apple iPhone, SYNC 3 offers seamless integration of Siri Eyes-Free control. Drivers can seek Siri’s help by holding down SYNC’s “Push to Talk” steering wheel button – much as they would hold down the button on an iPhone to initiate a Siri session.

Innovative features

Ford was first to bring voice control to in-vehicle apps with AppLink™, and the experience is further improved with SYNC 3.

AppLink allows customers to connect their smartphone to their vehicle and control their compatible apps using voice commands or buttons on the vehicle display screen. AppLink now automatically discovers smartphone apps including Spotify, Pandora, Stitcher, NPR One, SiriusXM Radio and iHeartRadio Auto, and displays their unique graphics and branding. Music and news apps are automatically displayed along with other media sources, just like AM/FM or SiriusXM.

“Overall, AppLink is faster, more responsive and easier to find your apps,” said Julius Marchwicki, Ford global product manager, AppLink. “The overall design of SYNC 3 allows for better integration with smartphones – resulting in a more user-friendly experience.”

Developers easily can integrate branded apps into AppLink, providing Ford customers with an experience on the vehicle screen similar to what they see on smartphone screens.

SYNC 3 also features the new ability to update the software via Wi-Fi. Once a vehicle is set up with credentials for a home Wi-Fi network accessible in a customer’s driveway or garage, for example, it can automatically download updates.

SYNC 3, like earlier generations of the technology, provides subscription-free emergency service 911 Assist®.

The customer’s Bluetooth-connected phone is used to dial 911 in the event of a significant accident, alerting first-responders with the vehicle’s location. With SYNC 3, the car relays additional information, including if airbags were deployed, the type of crash (front, side, rear or rollover) and the number of safety belts detected in use, in order to help emergency call takers dispatch the appropriate resources to the scene.

Even Music Sounds Better in the 2015 Ford Mustang

 

 

• 2015 Ford Mustang will be available with three audio systems including a standard  six-speaker configuration, a premium nine-speaker system with an eight-inch touch-screen  or a 12-speaker ShakerPro with trunk-mounted subwoofer
• New car’s improved structure and aerodynamics provide a better acoustical foundation for audio fidelity
• Mustang is the first Ford vehicle to feature a high-power, 2.1-amp USB port that charges phones and other devices twice as fast as other ports

The throaty rumble of a V8 or the refined though aggressive note of an EcoBoost^® engine is generally the preferred soundtrack when driving a Ford Mustang. Yet for those times when a favorite road trip tune is called for, the all-new 2015 Mustang has that situation covered as well.
“As our team developed this Mustang, the goal was to improve the car’s fidelity in every respect – from the way it slices through a corner to the way the audio system reproduces the sound of favorite driving songs,” said Dave Pericak, Mustang chief engineer. “The process of rebuilding this car from the ground up allowed us to improve all aspects of the driving experience.”
Creating a solid foundation is essential to extracting the maximum performance out of the tires and suspension on the road. But that same foundation also provides numerous side benefits, such as enabling the audio system to provide cleaner, clearer sound.
The stronger body structure of the 2015 Mustang fastback is 28 percent more resistant to twisting than the previous model, resulting in less noise. The acoustic environment is also aided by improved aerodynamics that result from twice as much simulation and wind tunnel development – significantly reducing wind noise, especially at highway speeds.
“With a fundamentally quieter baseline to work from, we had a better acoustic environment to tune the audio systems in the new car,” said Joe Kafati, multimedia systems supervisor. “The reduction in ambient noise enabled us to achieve the same sound pressure levels in the cabin with much less power and distortion.”
The new Mustang is again available with three audio systems, each of which is better than the system it replaces in the outgoing model. The baseline system features a six-speaker configuration with separate high-frequency tweeters, now mounted in the A-pillars and pointing across the cabin to provide more direct sound to the driver and front passenger.
The more rigid doors of the new Mustang enable the use of slimmer, lighter 6.5-inch door speakers that don’t need as much travel to produce comparable audio volume, with higher-fidelity mid-range and bass sound. A pair of 6.5-inch round full-range speakers are mounted in the rear package tray of the fastback, or in the quarter panels in the convertible.
Both available premium audio systems add a front center speaker mounted in the top of the instrument panel for improved vocal and speech clarity. These systems add a separate 8+1-channel amplifier, and use powerful neodymium magnet speakers to help reduce weight while improving overall sensitivity and sound reproduction. The mid-range nine-speaker system adds a second speaker to each door, separating the low and mid-range frequencies for improved fidelity.
Stepping up to the top-end Shaker Pro system that is available on Mustang EcoBoost Premium and Mustang GT Premium brings 12 polymer cone speakers, with a pair of coaxial tweeter/woofers in the rear, plus a trunk-mounted subwoofer for maximum bass response. The subwoofer has been repackaged to fit into the rear corner of the trunk, leaving more space for cargo. Even with the Shaker Pro audio system, the 2015 Mustang convertible can still accommodate two large golf bags, or everything you would need for a weekend getaway.
“We took advantage of our new acoustics lab to tune the equalization modes for each system to provide improved clarity across all frequency ranges and in different driving conditions,” said Kafati. “The lab provides us with a consistent baseline for measuring the response of audio systems with a wide variety of music and spoken word content.”
Using the lab, Kafati and his colleagues can take objective measurements and bring in listeners to evaluate the audio from each seating position, ensuring everything sounds clear and well balanced.
With mobile technology constantly evolving, Ford SYNC^® has always been designed to enable drivers to easily connect devices of their choice. Mustang is the first Ford vehicle to feature a high-power, 2.1-amp USB port in the media bin at the base of the center stack to charge those devices twice as fast as before.
No matter which audio system a Mustang customer selects, supplemental controls on the steering wheel and voice activation for hands-free operation are standard. With standard Bluetooth wireless connectivity, drivers don’t even have to take their phone out of pocket or purse to stream music or take calls.
Each of the three available systems includes a single-disc CD player and auxiliary input. The standard audio system also features next-generation SYNC AppLink^™, enabling drivers to take advantage of selected smartphone apps while keeping hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
“Whether it’s a V8 rumble or ‘Mustang Sally,’ we’ve worked to make this the best-sounding Mustang ever,” said Kafati.