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Ford further empowers Australian voices through launch of SYNC2 (376)

Ford is setting a new benchmark for in-car technology, with the arrival of SYNC2, the second generation of the company’s in-car communications and entertainment system. The innovation will first hit Australian roads later this year.

SYNC2 is controlled by voice, along with commands issued through an 8-inch, high-resolution touchscreen in the car's dashboard. The driver can control the car's entertainment system, climate control, satellite navigation and linked mobile devices - like compatible smartphones and tablets - with voice commands.

New introductions to the system include pushing the voice control button and saying "I'm hungry" to bring up a list of local restaurants. You can use SYNC2 to call up the restaurant to make a reservation, then provide guidance to the location with turn-by-turn directions.

Other natural language commands include "warmer" to turn up the air conditions, or "Temperature 20 degrees" for more specificity.

SYNC2 now understands Australian addresses so the driver can use voice control to say the whole address at once and SYNC2 will intuitively work it out.

In addition, a full address is no longer required for a point of interest location. Instead the drive can say "Find a car park," for example, and the system will understand; to further aid navigation, landmarks and major road junctions are now shown in 3D to make them clearer and easier to understand.

Where previously a string of voice commands was required to play music from an attached smartphone or MP3 player, SYNC2 now understands if you just say the name of an artist or track, and the cover art will be displayed on the car's 8-inch screen with compatible players.

“Australian drivers are fast adopters of in-car technology, so we’re extremely excited to introduce SYNC2 to the ever evolving list of Ford-developed technologies Ford drivers can now experience while on the road,” said Bob Graziano, Chief Executive Officer and President at Ford Motor Company of Australia. "SYNC2 brings a new level of sophistication to voice control, allowing drivers to keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel."