Ford’s advanced in-car connectivity system SYNC2 to debut on 2014 Falcon and Territor
New Falcon welcomes Australian debut of SYNC2, Ford’s advanced in-car connectivity system that features high-resolution colour touch screen and advanced voice control for easier access to audio, navigation†, climate control and connected devices including smart phones.
“One shot” navigation simplifies destination entry by using Australian natural language voice controls to enter whole addresses or favourite destinations via voice.
SYNC2 available with Emergency Assistance which can help connect vehicle occupants with emergency services following an accident, providing vehicle location and open line communication^
Melbourne, Sept. 10, 2014 – The 2014 Ford Falcon and Territory are set to debut Ford’s new benchmark for in-vehicle-infotainment, SYNC2, the second generation of the company’s award-winning in-car communications and entertainment system. The innovation will continue to roll out on new models in 2015.
“We are pleased to launch SYNC2, our leading in-car connectivity system in our best-ever Falcon and Territory,” said Ford Australia President and CEO, Bob Graziano.
“SYNC2 offers a cutting-edge experience to Ford customers with great features such as voice-controlled navigation† and Emergency Assistance.”
The Power of Voice
SYNC2 offers customers three distinct ways to interact with the system, through the high-resolution 8-inch colour touch screen, physical buttons and advanced voice control. The driver can control the car's entertainment system, climate control, satellite navigation and linked mobile devices - like compatible smartphones - with voice commands.
“The voice system was tuned specifically for Australia which helps SYNC understand voice commands spoken with an Australian accent,” said Adrian McGibbon, Supervisor, Multimedia Systems, Ford Asia Pacific.
“We think SYNC2 is a significant leap forward for the customer with voice control features now available on navigation†, climate and even radio.”
In partnership with Nuance, SYNC2 has been regionalised to accommodate many different languages, dialects and accents including the three main varieties of Australian English.
“Australian English pronunciation is determined less by region than by social, cultural and educational influences,” says Mark Porter, Ford Motor Company Supervisor, SYNC Product Development/Core Voice Technology.
“It is sometimes claimed that there are variations in accent and pronunciation among people of different states and territories.
“Most linguists consider there to be three main varieties of Australian English: (a) Broad Australian English, (b) General Australian English and (c) Cultivated Australian English.”
Nuance’s natural text-to-speech technology is also behind “Karen”, the female voice of the Australian English voice on SYNC, providing drivers with a more natural, conversational experience with their Ford vehicle. All of these refinements are designed to encourage drivers to take advantage of the hands-free capabilities of SYNC2 whilst keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Touch screen control with SYNC2
The 2014 Falcon and Territory will be the first vehicles in Australia to features SYNC2’s high-resolution, 8-inch colour touch screen that provides an easy point of entry to manage the vehicle’s climate, phone, navigation and infotainment controls.
Split into four coloured quadrants, SYNC2 makes it easy for drivers to quickly and intuitively access the system they wish to adjust through large, easy to access buttons on the new touch screen.
“One Shot” - Navigation destination entry made easy
SYNC2’s navigation system, if equipped, offers Australian customers a raft of natural language voice controls that includes the ability to input a whole address in ‘one shot’ and SYNC2 will intuitively work it out or access favourites using personalised voice tags.
To enter a new navigation destination into SYNC2’s navigation system, the driver can simply press the voice button and say “Set destination 1735 Sydney Road” and SYNC2 does the rest. For pre-stored favourites, it is as simple as pushing the voice button and saying “set destination home”.
In addition, a full address is no longer required for a point of interest location. Instead the driver 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.
“One Shot destination entry revolutionises how a customer interacts with their navigation system and is another way that SYNC2 helps customers access in-car technology whilst keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road,” said Adrian McGibbon, Supervisor, Multimedia Systems, Ford Asia Pacific.
SYNC2’s navigation system also offers for the first time in Australia a split-screen display with detailed intersections, spoken street names, 3D highway junction and landmark views, and the MICHELIN guide and MICHELIN Green Guide. Simply pushing the voice control button and saying “I’m hungry” will bring up a list of local restaurants, which you can then get directions to.
Natural language voice commands for audio and climate
SYNC2 brings voice commands to audio and climate controls allowing the driver to adjust the temperature in the cabin or change their music selection whilst keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
Simplified natural language voice commands include "warmer" to adjust the cabin temperature, or "Temperature 20 degrees" for a more precise setting.
SYNC2 now understands you if you just say the name of an artist or track stored on your smartphone or MP3 player and continues to offer great SYNC voice features such as “play similar” and “What’s playing?”
SYNC2’s media hub allows customers to connect a number of different devices through two USB ports, an SD card slot and a traditional AUX jack and when listening to music on a compatible smartphone or MP3 player, the cover art will be displayed on SYNCs high-resolution 8-inch touch screen.
Audio and climate setting can also be adjusted via the 8” colour touch screen or through dashboard mounted buttons.
^In the event of a crash which deploys an airbag or activates the fuel pump shut-off, Emergency Assistance can use your phone (as long as it’s paired and within range) to dial emergency services.
†If equipped. Source: Ford Media
Ford’s advanced in-car connectivity system SYNC2 to debut on 2014 Falcon and Territor
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