On March 5th, 2012, Ford Canada launched a cross-country tour to promote its newly upgraded MyFord Touch system, to be featured on several new 2013 models including the Ford Taurus and Flex. The company wanted to give journalists a detailed look at the various improvements to MyFord Touch, with a product expert on hand to review and answer questions about its advanced characteristics.
A follow-up article on Left Lane News raised a point that struck a sensitive nerve with my esteemed colleague Matt St-Pierre: uploading the upgrade. He went on to write MyFord Touch 2.0 pre-fail, a smart piece with many elements of truth, but one that needs some clarification.
Faster. Simpler. Easier to use
These are the words used by the automaker to sell version 2.0 of MyFord Touch. Let's see...
Faster? A number of functions are now up to 9 times faster, while the voice recognition system reacts twice as fast as its predecessor.
Simpler? The much cleaner interface and standardized font size translate into a friendlier display.
Easier to use? With all of the aforementioned, need I say more?
Available around late April, the software upgrade will be loaded onto a USB key and mailed to current Ford and Lincoln customers who own a vehicle equipped with MyFord/MyLincoln Touch. Uploading it will take up to an hour – while the car is running.
Contrary to Matt's claim, the climate and audio settings will remain accessible through physical buttons on the dashboard. The system's display in the instrument cluster will not be directly affected by the upload, which means that drivers can still access basic information such as CD tracks and outside temperature.
I believe the 60-minute installation and the fuel required to run the vehicle during all this time largely make up for the hours of frustration that result from the existing MyFord Touch platform. You don't even have to go to a dealer, and it won't cost you a penny. Seriously, what more could you ask for?
Take a look at our photo gallery for a before/after comparison of the two versions.
A follow-up article on Left Lane News raised a point that struck a sensitive nerve with my esteemed colleague Matt St-Pierre: uploading the upgrade. He went on to write MyFord Touch 2.0 pre-fail, a smart piece with many elements of truth, but one that needs some clarification.
Faster. Simpler. Easier to use
These are the words used by the automaker to sell version 2.0 of MyFord Touch. Let's see...
Faster? A number of functions are now up to 9 times faster, while the voice recognition system reacts twice as fast as its predecessor.
Simpler? The much cleaner interface and standardized font size translate into a friendlier display.
 |
| Photo: Ford |
Easier to use? With all of the aforementioned, need I say more?
Available around late April, the software upgrade will be loaded onto a USB key and mailed to current Ford and Lincoln customers who own a vehicle equipped with MyFord/MyLincoln Touch. Uploading it will take up to an hour – while the car is running.
Contrary to Matt's claim, the climate and audio settings will remain accessible through physical buttons on the dashboard. The system's display in the instrument cluster will not be directly affected by the upload, which means that drivers can still access basic information such as CD tracks and outside temperature.
I believe the 60-minute installation and the fuel required to run the vehicle during all this time largely make up for the hours of frustration that result from the existing MyFord Touch platform. You don't even have to go to a dealer, and it won't cost you a penny. Seriously, what more could you ask for?
Take a look at our photo gallery for a before/after comparison of the two versions.
 |
| Photo: Ford |
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