Carmakers Flock to Apple’s Siri Voice Control System

Apple Inc. says at least eight carmakers plan to use the company's Siri voice control technology in their vehicle entertainment systems within the next 12 months.

General Motors Co. is likely to be the first to market with Siri-compatible vehicles when its 2013 Chevrolet Sonic and Spark small cars debut later this year.

Apple indicated at a software developers conference in San Francisco that other carmakers committed to adopting Siri include Audi, BMW, Chrysler, Honda, Jaguar, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz and Toyota.

Siri, which Apple debuted on the most recent version of its iPhone last year, has been widely praised for its sophisticated ability to understand natural speech and give directions or suggestions for nearby restaurants, add calendar appointments, check the weather and more.

Carmakers tell Automotive News they intend to embrace a new Siri feature called Eyes Free that Apple plans to introduce this autumn. The features will permit drivers to activate Siri from a button on the steering wheel to make calls and perform other iPhone tasks while the device's screen is turned off.