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CONSUMER ELECTRONICS SHOW: MYFORD TOUCH MAKES EASY VEHICLE PERSONALIZATION A REALITY

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  • New MyFord Touch™ driver connect technology allows drivers to personalize many aspects of the in-car experience, including home screen, technology settings and convenience features
  • Personalized settings can be saved via programmable keys, allowing each driver to have his or her settings automatically applied even when the vehicle is shared
  • The 8-inch center stack LCD can display a custom home screen with programmable “hot buttons,” uploaded photos and common phone functions, navigation destinations, climate control settings and audio presets   
LAS VEGAS, Jan. 7, 2010 – One of the biggest strengths of MyFord TouchTM, Ford’s new driver interface, rests with the driver’s ability to personalize the gauges, vehicle settings and information displays.
 
“The display personalization options in MyFord Touch are a perfect example of how Ford is empowering drivers without demanding their attention,” said John Schneider, chief engineer, HMI, Driver Controls and Infotainment. “Drivers don’t have to use the personalization features, but there are a wealth of options available to those who do. We’ve made it easy for drivers to get what they want from their displays from the moment the key is turned.”
 
MyFord Touch makes personalization at the touch of a button intuitive by using five-way controls on the steering wheel for most functions.
The buttons are easily controlled by a driver’s thumbs and work in the same fashion as similar controls on common mobile phones, MP3 players and remote controls, providing customers instant familiarity.
 
Along with personalization, the portability of display settings is engineered into MyFord. Selected user settings can be programmed to individual vehicle keys. This allows two members of the same household to share a car, allowing each to have personalized settings take effect with his or her unique key. Settings also can be downloaded to a USB drive and exported to another MyFord-equipped vehicle, instantly transferring the driver’s preferences.
 

Examples of the Quiet, Smart Corners and Shortcuts home screen

Home screen display
The 8-inch touch screen that forms the heart of MyFord Touch can be personalized using one of three available options:

  • Quiet: Basic information is shown nested in the four corners, but the majority of the screen is devoted to a driver-selected “wallpaper” image
  • Smart Corners: Predetermined buttons with the most popular top level functions are displayed in each of the quadrants
  • Shortcuts: The screen is populated with driver-selected “hot buttons” that are fully personalized, and can include hot buttons from nearly any controllable function in the system

Because a couple sharing a car may have two very different preferences in the amount of information MyFord delivers, the system also incorporates programmable keys. This helps ensure each partner will get their particular home screen – and their particular MyFord experience – when they enter the car with their unique key.

 
Regardless of personalization level, the four main function corners and their respective colors remain the same, helping drivers intuitively navigate the vehicle systems when they need to.
 
One-touch climate control
One of the most common in-car adjustments – setting the driver’s temperature – can be reduced to a single button push using the MyTemp feature.
 
Once a driver saves a temperature using MyTemp, any subsequent touch of the MyTemp button will automatically change to this set temperature. If other drivers have used the vehicle and adjusted settings, the driver can quickly and conveniently return to his or her preferred setting by touching the MyTemp button.
 
Temperature settings also can be stored on multiple drivers’ unique keys as part of MyFord’s personalization features.
 
Left instrument panel screen vehicle personalization options
Vehicle information is presented in a 4.2-inch full-color LCD to the left of the centrally mounted speedometer. The display is controlled using a cell phone-style five-way button located on the left side of the steering wheel crossbar, allowing drivers to intuitively access vehicle functions without having to reach for a dash-mounted switch or remove their hands from the wheel.
 

Gauge display with adaptive cruise control setting active
Driver assist settings
  • Traction control on/off
  • Blind Spot Information System (BLIS®) on/off
  • Cross Traffic Alert on/off
  • Cruise control, adaptive or normal
  • Front Park Assist on/off
  • Rear Park Assist on/off
  • Trailer Sway Control on/off
 
Vehicle settings
  • Autolamp delay in seconds
  • Fuel, distance-to-empty and real-time economy
  • Locks, autolock and auto-unlock
  • Menu control, standard or memory
  • Power liftgate, enable/disable
  • Remote start climate control  activation settings
  • Remote start run-time duration
  • Windows, remote open/close
  • Wipers, courtesy wipe and rain-sensing wiper on/off

Gauge display showing vertical tach, fuel gauge and trip display
 
Display
  • Gauge display with tachometer; tach and fuel level; or tach, fuel level and water temperature
  • Trip display
  • Language (English, French, Spanish)
  • Distance, miles or kilometers; temperature, degrees in F or C
 
Within many of the menus are additional submenus allowing drivers to further personalize their in-car experience. For example, within the remote start menu, the driver can program the system to activate the air conditioning using the climate control submenu and to turn the car off after 10 minutes using the duration submenu.
 
 “Using simple, intuitive controls, MyFord brings the personalization consumers expect from their mobile electronic devices into the realm of the automobile,” Schneider said.
 
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About Ford Motor Company
Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles across six continents. With about 200,000 employees and about 90 plants worldwide, the company’s automotive brands include Ford, Lincoln, Mercury and Volvo. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.ford.com.

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