by Bill Howard
Ford Sync is getting a new look. Again. This time Ford is adding more knobs and buttons to Ford Sync. At the same time, Ford says voice control will do more with fewer, shorter commands. More Sync-linked applications will be offered for your smartphone. Look for the changes on Ford’s major-redesign 2015 models, including the Ford Mustang sports car and the Ford F-150 pickup truck.
Lincoln, Ford’s upscale sibling, is moving away from the capacitive touch volume and fan sliders. It will also offer a built-in telematics modem, much like GM’s OnStar. Previously Ford and Lincoln handled telematics through the driver’s connected smartphone.
The All-New Ford Mustang GT
Sync continues to evolve (so it doesn’t die?)
The All-New Ford Mustang GTFord Sync has been out since 2008 and today covers virtually all the Ford and Lincoln line. Sync is a phone-and-music, Bluetooth-and-USB link to the car, co-designed with Microsoft. Ford Sync has been though two major iterations of the screen interface and five or so Sync software versions. The second-generation interface, currently in use, is MyFord Touch. It’s based around a touchscreen, 8 inches diagonal except on small Fords such as the Ford Fiesta, and a screen segmented into quarters.
The touchscreen home screen has four quadrants with phone commands upper left, navigation upper right, entertainment lower left, and climate control lower right. That’s pretty much how MyFord Touch has looked since 2011. Software revisions increased the font size in between and some text was dropped to clean up the screen.
But note all the physical buttons and knobs on the new Mustang: seven for audio, 15 for climate control, with plenty of overlap with the touchscreen, such as the seat heaters and seat coolers. Some physical controls on older Fords have been changed to knobs.
Ford’s Amy Marentec, a Ford group marketing manager, said the changes were based on customer feedback. More accurately, Ford has gotten hammered on J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey and downgraded by Consumer Reports. They are near the bottom on both surveys.
“Ford is making the change due to negative feedback they’ve received regarding several aspects of MyFord Touch,” says Chris Schreiner, director of Strategy Analytics‘ user experience practice. “The system can be sluggish to the touch, while knobs and buttons obviously have a much quicker response. The four-quadrant system is also very text and information heavy, making it overwhelming and confusing for some to do even simple tasks.”
Big buttons on the Ford F-150
The 2015 Ford F-150 carries the same MyFord Touch interface and almost 30 infotainment and climate control buttons below the touchscreen on this vehicle. It is virtually the same center stack as on the 2014 F-150 because buttons never quite went away on pickups. Ford says, “Designers have optimized the physical interface for MyFord Touch to accommodate truck users who may be wearing work gloves.” As for MyFord Touch, the screen “interfaces for climate control, entertainment, navigation and hands-free touch are identical” to Ford cars, meaning it would get the simpler voice structure. The new F-150 is expected to ship late summer or fall.
ExtremeTech
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