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• Ford's next generation Sync system will debut in the all-electric Mustang Mach-E.
• The communication and entertainment system employs machine-learning to offer new levels of personalisation – learns from driver behaviours to make smart suggestions.
• The system has a new remote vehicle setup feature which enables owners to pre-configure new car settings from home, before it arrives.
Ford's first electric car will debut its next-generation Sync technology. The carmaker says the system learns from driver behaviours to make smart suggestions.
It combines conversational speech recognition, internet search results and machine learning intelligence to save time based upon previous journeys.
Image: Quickpic
The latest in-car tech was shown for the first time in Europe via an exclusive virtual event. Also revealed is Remote Vehicle Setup – a new feature that enables owners to personalise their new car even before it arrives – pre-configuring settings from preferred drive modes to ambient cabin colours.
"We’ve worked obsessively to make sure that owning a Mustang Mach-E is the most personal, most connected driving experience achievable," said Jan Schroll, connectivity manager, Ford of Europe. "The next-generation Sync is the smartest version yet and will continue to get smarter the longer you own your car. It is designed to know what you need – and when you need it – so you can just sit back and enjoy the drive."
Personal touch
There are more than 80 configurable vehicle settings in the Mustang Mach-E, ranging from cabin temperature and seat position to ambient lighting, making for a highly personalised in-car experience.
The system is can individual drivers apart by their smartphone or key fob and apply bespoke settings as they approach the vehicle – before they get in – so each family member can instantly experience their own unique cabin, driving and entertainment experience.
Image: Quickpic
40cm full-HD touchscreen
A 40cm full HD touch display dominates the cabin. It features the familiar pinch, zoom and rotate touch controls , while the signature dial at the bottom of the screen makes for quick and tactile adjustment of the volume for music or conference calls.
Personalised profiles can be pre-configured with their new vehicle ahead of delivery using the new Remote Vehicle Setup feature. Ford says owners can create a personalised profile to save their favourite settings and frequent locations such as their place of work or a supermarket, and even identify nearby charging stations.
This setup can be done online or using FordPass, the company's companion smartphone app. The personalisation profile is stored in the cloud, so when the owner picks up the keys and first pairs their smartphone with their Mach-E, all settings are pushed to their vehicle.
The ease of unlocking the vehicle via their smartphone is done with the phone-as-a-key feature. Ford says the vehicle will instantly recognise who is approaching, unlock the doors and enable their individual driver preferences and settings. 2 If the driver’s smartphone battery runs dry, they can simply enter their personal passcode onto a keypad on the car door.
Conversational assistant
If you're bored and need someone to talk to, Ford says the voice control system in the latets sync system understands natural, everyday speech in 15 European languages, enabling owners to talk to their vehicle just as they would a passenger, letting them control everything from entertainment and navigation features, to cabin environment and phone calls.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both pre-installed at no extra cost and, now with cable-free connectivity, owners can benefit from safe and effortless access to their favourite smartphone apps and contacts using their voice or the vehicle's touchscreen.
Image: Quickpic
In charge
The Mustang Mach-E poses its own set of challenges as an electric vehicle. To deal with this issue, the sync system advises the driver where and when to charge during journeys, as well as providing access to real-time charging station availability and pricing.
The Intelligent Range technology informs drivers of the vehicle’s range, based on factors including traffic, terrain, weather and even data from other Ford electric vehicles using the roads ahead. If the vehicle range changes significantly, a notification highlights the new range estimate and explains why it changed.
Owners of selected Ford's in Europe will have the the next-generation sync system starting with the Mustang Mach-E.
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