Those of you with a SYNC-equipped vehicle will balk at the headline, as there already exists SYNC 2.0 software. This is the 2nd iteration of Ford’s SYNC system, dubbed MyFord Touch. It consists of an 8″ touch screen interface in the center stack of a vehicle’s dashboard, as well as two 4.2″ LCD screens flanking a regular speedometer in the instrument cluster. For a preview of the screens this system will use, see the 2010 Ford Fusion Hybrid. The pictures show some of the possibilities, but read on for more details.
With MyFord Touch, Ford is changing the way a car’s dash is designed. No longer will new parts be required to change the look of a car’s instrument cluster, as a software change will enable the driver to change what and how gauges are displayed. The two 4.2″ LCD screens flanking the speedometer can contain things like the odometer, tachometer and fuel gauge. If the driver doesn’t care to have a tachometer shown, he or she can simply remove it, using the 8″ touch screen in the center stack.
Both Ford and Lincoln vehicles will feature the MyFord functionality, but Lincoln’s version will of course be called MyLincoln Touch. I’d expect a few extras on MyLincoln to differentiate it from lesser models.
All these settings allow personalization like nobody’s seen before. It’s a real game-changer for Ford, throwing out the traditional instrument cluster in favor of new technology. Granted, we’ve seen digital dashboards before, but nothing on this level of sophistication.
by John Suit
Source: Ford