Ford will make SYNC, the automaker's "hands-free, voice-activated connectivity system," available on all models across its product line, starting this fall with the 2012 Ford Explorer and Ford Edge, increasing the number of trim levels with SYNC as standard equipment and lowering the price where it is an option by $100.
Previously priced at $395, SYNC will be available for $295 for the 2012 model year. SYNC will also be standard, for example, with the top three trim levels of the Ford Edge--SEL, Limited and Sport--and optional with the base SE. For 2011, SYNC wasn't offered on the SE and was optional on the SEL trim level while standard on the Limited and Sport.
Ford says the increased availability is about more than convenience. Ken Czubay, Ford vice president, U.S. marketing, sales and service explains, “SYNC already has brought hands-free, voice-activated in-car connectivity to millions, helping keep drivers’ eyes on the road and hands on the wheel.”
The move, says Ford, "marks the company’s latest push to make voice control the primary and safest way for customers to access their favorite mobile devices while driving."
"In a 2010 study, the Consumer Electronics Association found that 55 percent of smartphone owners, for example, prefer voice commands as their primary in-car user interface," says Ford. "SYNC users agree, with internal Ford research showing more than 85 percent say they use voice controls while driving, up from 60 percent in previous studies."
SYNC features include:
Those features include:
- Hands-free, voice-activated calling via a Bluetooth-connected mobile phone
- Hands-free, voice-activated control of a USB-connected digital music player
- 911 Assist™, the automated emergency calling service that is free for the life of the vehicle
- Vehicle Health Report, the on-demand diagnostic and maintenance information service
SYNC has proven popular with Explorer and Edge buyers, with more than 80 percent of the two models equipped with the system. Ford expects the new price and availability will increase that to over 95 percent.
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