Ford will attempt to leap-frog the likes of Tesla with its new SYNC infotainment system, which will make its debut in the forthcoming Mustang Mach-E electric SUV.
The new setup will be built around a 15.5-inch 'portrait' touchscreen mounted in the centre of the dash. At a glance, it's quite Tesla-esque, but look a little closer and you'll see one vital difference - a physical stereo volume control. "One thing customers we asked noticed is they wanted a physical dial to control the volume. They didn't want to sit there and tap-tap-tap-tap-tap as they're driving. So, we brought in that physical knob. It's bonded on the screen, for quick volume access," Ford's SYNC software supervisors, Husein Dakroub, told CompleteCar.ie. Indeed, it seems that, quite unlike Tesla, Ford is listening intently to its customers before the car is launched, rather than letting them be the unwitting beta testers...
"We went into Chicago, California and also China to understand what customers want and we got data on what customers want on bigger screens, not just for the sake of having the biggest screen but providing quicker access to information. And so that drove our development and prototyping, and as we were prototyping we were iterating every week. We were working in three-week sprints and we would provide customers with insights into what we were working on. And we would then work with that feedback to create the next iteration. That drove into our intent for what we wanted to do for production," said Dakroub.
Aside from the physical volume knob, it's clear that Ford has also been listening to criticisms of other car makers' touchscreens. "If you notice a lot of systems today, they're kind of hierarchical and you got to dig deep into the sub-menus to reach a specific action. We brought things back to the surface; the first surface so you can easily interact. You're one or two touches away from any application that you need, any vehicle control, any setting that you want to get to, everything is just one or two touches away," continued Dakroub.
To do that, Ford has divided the display into three sections. At the top is the main part of the screen, which usually features whichever function - navigation, media, etc - that you're currently focused on. Below that is a strip of 'cards' - menu shortcuts to major or recently used functions, which can also be used to directly control those apps without fully opening them. Finally, at the bottom - immovable and always there - are the controls for cabin heating and air conditioning.
So far, so predictable. Ford is, it would seem, simply catching up with what other car makers have been doing. Two functions, though, could potentially put Ford ahead in the touchscreen race.
The first is the Electric Vehicle (EV) trip planner. "With the EV trip planner feature, we can plan the route in detail right from our living room. I input the destination into the FordPass app on my phone that lets me choose between the fastest and shortest driving roads. It tells me when, where, and for how long we need to stop to charge along the way, it shows me the most convenient charging stations, which stations are operational, charging cost and even real time power levels and availability of charging points. Then when we're ready to set off, I send it to the car's navigation system and set my departure time. When I get into my Mach-E on my trip day, it will be preheated, pre-charged and pre-loaded with my road trip plan," Jan Schroll, Ford's infotainment manager told CompleteCar.ie.
"One really important element is that we have reimagined the whole charging experience from the driver's perspective to make it anxiety-free. Using trip planner, this next generation SYNC and FordPass looks after you when you're on the road by providing real-time information about when and where to charge. And now we're introducing intelligent range technology, which makes knowing how far you can go and when you need to charge a lot more predictable and calculates your available range based on past driving behaviour, weather conditions, vehicle speeds and terrain, and even data from other Ford electric vehicles about particular roads to predict how much energy you will use."
The other major innovation is pre-delivery personalisation. With this, Mustang Mach-E buyers will be given an email alert when their car is being delivered to their chosen dealership. They'll then be able to go and sign in to the FordPass app on their phone, and use that to browse through the myriad settings and functions of their new car - from the desired cabin temperature to satnav settings, to media setup - all without having set foot in the dealership or near the car itself. The data is then simply uploaded to the car, and it's ready and setup for you to use as soon as you sit into it on the first day.
The system also analyses your regular routes and habits, and can prompt you to call home on your way back from work, or to stop off at your favourite coffee shop. It can also monitor your driving and give you hints as tips to be smoother, or more efficient.
The new SYNC system is always connected to the internet, and will receive over-the-air software updates. Ford says that, unlike those for your laptop, these won't leave you hanging, waiting for them to download and install. Instead, they'll be downloaded in the background during the day, and installed overnight while the vehicle is charging. Ford also says that the system self-checks, holding onto the previous version of its operating software, and double-checking for glitches or problems, before it finally accepts the latest software.
We'll get our first chance to properly interact with the new SYNC system when the first Mustang Mach-Es hit Irish dealerships later this year.