Filed under: Tech, Ford

SYNC has given Ford a much-needed technology boost. The infotainment device provides motorists with features such as voice-controlled integration with MP3 players and automatic calls to emergency services in the event of an accident. For the 2010 model year, SYNC adds GPS hardware, giving owners access to traffic, directions, and information.

SYNC TDI works through your Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone to deliver real-time traffic information and turn by turn directions. SYNC TDI can also be personalized to deliver real-time updates of sports scores, weather, entertainment news and more. There is no subscription fee, either, because SYNC TDI uses your existing phone service, which you’re already paying for.

This update is now available at syncmyride.com for owners of SYNC-equipped 2010 model-year Ford, Lincoln and Mercury models. The download only works with vehicles that aren’t equipped with Ford’s voice-activated navigation system.

To update your SYNC, load the SYNC TDI to a thumb drive, then start your car and plug into the USB port. SYNC will give you two completion notices; at one minute and again within 10 minutes. Once the download is complete, you have to reconnect your USB device to your computer, Log into syncmyride.com, and register the successful download. It’s a bit of a bulky process to get SYNC TDI operational, but we’re guessing real-time traffic, weather, sports, and directions will be worth your trouble. Hit the jump to pore over Ford’s detailed press release.

[Source: Ford]

Continue reading Ford launches new free app for 2010 vehicles with SYNC

Ford launches new free app for 2010 vehicles with SYNC originally appeared on Autoblog on Sun, 31 May 2009 09:51:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Motorsports, Ford

For the Ford Fiesta’s next trick on it’s Get to Know America Tour, the smallest of Blue Oval autos is getting a serious overhaul and going mountain climbing. Pikes Peak is the vertical land mass in question, and two heavily modified Fiestas will evidently enter the Unlimited class steered by drivers Andreas Eriksson and former WRC champion Marcus Gronholm.

Unlike the Fiestas in the Movement, the two racers will have all-wheel drive and engines outputs of up to 800 horsepower or more. This will be the Fiesta’s first Stateside motorsports outing, going down up July 19. In a tremendous vote of confidence in the car or his own braggadocio, Eriksson has reportedly declared “I’m convinced we’ll be a top contender to break the 10-minute mark and give the Fiesta a proper racing debut in the U.S.” If the Fiesta does break ten minutes, that would beat Rod Millen’s hill climb record of 10:04.06 set in 1994.

[Source: Straightline]

Marcus Gronholm to pilot 800 HP Ford Fiesta up Pikes Peak originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2009 17:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Podcasts, Trends, Hybrids/Alternative, Sedans/Saloons, Sports/GTs, Etc., Tech, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, GM, Honda, Toyota, Opinion/Editorial

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Episode #129 of the Autoblog Podcast is here! Chris, Sam, and Dan toss the ball around this week discussing the Lexus HS250h, the Toyota Prius’s newfound chassis grace, the production version of the BMW 5-Series GT, Cadillac’s sharp new SRX, and of course, a few questions. We even go back and update an answer to a question from last week. This installment clocks in just shy of an hour, so enjoy… and thanks for listening! As always, hit us up at Podcast at Autoblog dot com with any questions/comments/over-the-top praise! Thanks to reader/listener Dat for taking in the Podcast while at LeMons in Reno and sending us a pic!

Follow the jump to subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes, add the show to your RSS aggregator… or listen to it right now!

Continue reading Autoblog Podcast #129

Autoblog Podcast #129 originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Filed under: Sports/GTs, Euro, Hatchbacks, Ford, Rendered Speculation, Rumormill

The Ford Capri is to Europe what the Ford Mustang is to the United States… with at least one major exception. Unlike the quintessentially American pony car, which has been in nearly continuous production since its inception way back in 1964, the Capri nameplate has been conspicuously absent from European showrooms since 1986 – making it ripe for a remake.

According to the fearless rumormongers at Auto Express, the next Ford Capri may be right around the corner. In this guise, the Capri would basically be a three-door hatchback version of the Ford Focus with a sporty take on Ford’s so-called Kinetic design language. The car would be earmarked to do battle with the revived Volkswagen Scirocco and Renault’s latest Mégane Coupé.

Inside, the new Capri would share the same basic guts as the Focus and feature the latest version of Ford’s Human Machine Interface. Underhood would sit the buyer’s choice of an EcoBoost gasoline-fed four cylinder in either 1.6-liter or high-performance 2.0-liter sizes – or perhaps one of Ford’s TDCi turbodiesel engines mated up with a Powershift twin-clutch gearbox.

If there is indeed any truth to these rumors, we can expect the next-gen Capri to debut at an unknown auto show sometime in 2010.

[Source: Auto Express]

Rendered Speculation: Ford Capri to return next year? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 28 May 2009 10:26:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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