Ford announced that its SYNC system will be an option on all models, even base units, of the Ford Edge and Explorer beginning with the 2012 model year. In addition, the price of the system will drop by $100. The plan will migrate to Ford’s entire product line-up within three years, ultimately making SYNC available on 100% of the cars they produce for the North American market. Ford will rollout the new pricing next for model year 2013 Escape, Flex, Focus, and Taurus automobiles.
The SYNC system has been a hit for Ford. The company says the system has been sold on more than 80 percent of eligible vehicles, or more than 3 million cars and trucks since its its debut in 2007. Dealers have told us here ToT many times a customer will wait to get a car with SYNC over taking a discount on the same car sans SYNC.
Ford has also become the first automaker to announce its support for a nationwide ban on the use of handheld mobile devices while driving.
The pricing change brings the cost of the SYNC system to $295. An additional yearly subscription charge of $60 applies for cloud-based services, which include turn-by-turn directions, traffic reports, and business search information with available live operator assistance if needed.
