If you’ve watched my reviews of Ford vehicles you know I always take a few moments to beat down their frustrating and distracting MyFord Touch infotainment and driver interface system. Well you’ll suffer this no more.
This week an all-new HMI or human machine interface called Ford SYNC 3 was announced that will in the next year begin replacing the optional MyFord Touch system which has earned the ire of car owners and journalists alike.
With SYNC 3 it gets a new name because the MyFord Touch branding now has about as much positive equity as the Ford Pinto, Pontiac Aztek or Mazda’s rotary engine. You say MyFord Touch and buyers run from the lots.
The system itself is all new with a QNX based software language, losing the Microsoft Auto operating system. Backing it up is new and more robust hardware for graphics from Texas Instruments.
Menus and graphics are light and bright with a new layout that brings most common uses to the top level, those being audio, navigation, and communications. No more are critical functions buried several levels down.
Ford says the new system is faster responding to the touch and much less distracting behind the wheel than MyFord Touch. Voice commands are also said to be more intuitive requiring less structured verbal ovations.
It uses keywords more strongly than exact terms. You can say for instance Detroit Airport for nav search instead of its full proper name Detroit Metropolitan Airport. It will spend a moment to figure you out.
If it’s what they say it is, this may very well be the best thing Ford has done in a while, listen to us. We’re the customers, we know what’s good. We’ll bring you a real world review as soon as we get our hands on one.
