Using Ford’s new app you can start your car even when you’re not in your vehicle.
The Sync Connect app allows drivers to warm up their car before they drive so that it’s the right temperature when you hit the road. Its release marks a further push into the vehicle telematics space from the automaker.
New app to work in conjunction with Sync 3 system
Other functionalities including locking and unlocking, checking fuel, oil and battery levels, and taking tire pressure readings. The smartphone app also allows users to locate their vehicle on a map and set a timer for the car to start.
“You need to leave at 8 a.m., so you program a remote start for 7:50 a.m., then get in to a running, warm car and drive away comfortably and on time,” Ford says.
The app will be made available with the Sync 3 system in the Ford Escape SUV, set to be released in spring. Other vehicles will follow soon after and buyers of new cars will get the system for free for the first five years.
Escape SUV first Ford to use new app and system
Users will have to set up two-step verification in order to secure the new app, which will bring new functionalities to the Sync 3 system. The new system is faster than the previous version and now includes conversational voice recognition, touch screen and updated graphical interface.
Doug Newcomb of PC Mag reviewed the new system and was impressed by the new graphics and navigation features. Newcomb did however claim that the data could become outdated quickly because it is not cloud-based, and the app selection was limited.
Ford also announced that the latest version of its Escape SUV will boast driver-assist technologies such as adaptive cruise control and forward collision warning with brake support. Also included are parking assist and lane drift alerts.
The automaker is reportedly working towards delivering the “next level in connectivity, mobility, autonomous vehicles, the customer experience and big data.” Sync Connect and Sync 3 are one part of that effort, but Ford may have to offer more apps and cloud-based data to keep up with rivals.