Ford Unveils Sync 3 Successor to MyFord Touch

Ford Motor Co. will begin introducing Sync 3, the replacement for its poorly rated MyFord and MyLincoln Touch infotainment system, next summer.

Ford Sync's happier face

Owner struggles with the current Touch system have pummeled the company's customer satisfaction ratings in recent years. Users said the feature was balky, complicated and prone to crashes.

Sync 3 dumps the Microsoft Corp. platform that carried the first two generations of Ford Sync in favor of BlackBerry's QNX operating system. The new setup includes Apple Inc.'s Siri Eyes Free voice recognition capability and Ford's own AppLink system for controlling smartphone apps.

Ford says Sync 3 responds faster, uses more user-friendly voice commands, features easier-to-understand graphics and sports a display screen with such smartphone-like functions as swipe and pinch to zoom. The system also can be linked to an owner's home wi-fi network to upgrade itself automatically.