Announced late last year, Sync 3 is perhaps the biggest departure for Ford’s connected car ambitions since it first started putting touchscreens in dashboards — and now, we know when and where you’ll be able to get it. The company announced today that Sync 3 will come first to the 2016 Escape soft-roader and Fiesta subcompact, both of which will be available in dealerships this summer.
Ford’s Sync 3 connected car platform debuts this summer with the Escape and Fiesta
The system’s hardware and software are both thoroughly revamped, headlined by a capacitive touchscreen that should make dealing with Sync a little closer to the smartphone experience drivers are now used to. (Older versions of Sync, along with many other automakers’ platforms, use resistive touchscreens that are usually less responsive.) There’s also Siri Eyes-Free support — full-fledged CarPlay isn’t going to be there at launch, though Ford has said that it’s coming (along with Android Auto) and any Sync 3-equipped car will be able to upgrade. Not all of Ford’s vehicles will have cellular connections, but they’ve got Wi-Fi support that will allow drivers to update their cars over-the-air whenever they’re connected to a network.
As for the rest of Ford’s range, the company says that Sync 3 will come to every vehicle in the North American portfolio by the end of next year.
Correction: Ford had originally indicated that Sync 3 would be available on all North American vehicles “by the end of the year,” but that was incorrect — it’ll be by the end of 2016. The article has been updated.
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