Ford SYNC to debut in new Ford Focus ST not B-Max

Ford's in-car voice-activated infotainment system will hit UK in the new hot-hatch Ford Focus ST before the B-Max

After five years in the US, Ford's new in-car infotainment system, Ford Sync, is finally set to reach UK shores this October when the brand new hot-hatch Ford Focus STs hit the road.

Ford's newest weapon in the in-car tech arms race - the Ford SYNC voice activated computer and infotainment system - is about to hit UK shores but not in the Ford B-Max as expected. Instead the first cars on the roads to feature the new tech will be the smart sporty hot-hatch, the Ford Focus ST.

The SYNC system will still appear in the new Ford B-Max range when they go on sale but will be available first in the new Focus STs when first cars set to take the road from early October.

The Ford SYNC system made its first European appearance at Mobile World Congress back in February. It offers Bluetooth pairing and voice-activation from smartphones, MP3-player conectivity and voice control plus live Emergency Assistance in multiple languages depending on where you're driving your car.


There are also live 3D sat-nav features, the ability to read out SMS messages and automatic phonebook download which puts your smartphone contacts, inlcuding phonebook photos, instantly onto the cars built-in memory.

The technology has been well recieved in the US where it has been available for a number of years and will be Ford's most advanced in-car tech to reach UK shores so far.


Ford has also confirmed that a full 8-inch touchscreen version of Sync that has already been rolled out in the US will be making its way to the UK soon, although there's no exact date.

Kieran Alger
Freelance writer

Kieran is a freelance writer and editor working in the space where health, fitness, sports and technology collide. He covers everything from virtual reality and smart scales to the latest wearable health trackers. Kieran is also a borderline-obsessed runner and is passionate about using the latest technology to hack his health in search of marginal gains.