Ford’s SYNC Connect system – first announced as a feature on the refreshed 2017 Ford Escape crossover in the US – will be offered by the end of next year in Europe, according to Automotive News.
The Escape’s equivalent European model – the Ford Kuga (pictured above) – will initially go on sale without the feature.
SYNC Connect will be a part of Ford’s latest SYNC 3 infotainment system, and will enhance vehicle connectivity with an embedded modem and 4G/LTE access. With SYNC Connect, vehicle owners will be able to remotely access their vehicles with a mobile device, allowing them to start the engine, actuate door locks, check battery charge or fuel tank fullness, etc.
Ford Director of Electrical and Electronics Systems Research and Advanced Engineering Jim Buczkowski told AN that more and more, customers want to be connected to their vehicles remotely. “[SYNC Connect is] a different strategy from GM and Opel with Onstar, but it’s accomplishing similar things,” he said.
The European Union passed a new eCall regulation, which will require all new cars to be fitted with wireless connections by April 2018 so that vehicles can automatically contact emergency services in the event of a crash.
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