For the first time, Ford is bringing their EcoSport to the U.S. In addition to this being an enticing SUV for those who are environmentally conscious, the car’s integration with Waze makes this an ideal vehicle for Uber and Lyft drivers – and pretty much everyone who uses Waze on a regular basis.
We got a demo of the Waze integration on the 2018 EcoSport. As soon as you plug in your phone via USB, Ford’s SYNC AppLink recognizes Waze and other compatible apps that are loaded on your phone. But instead of being locked into using your phone’s small screen, you can take advantage of your car’s larger infotainment screen to use those apps. On the Ford EcoSport, that screen can be as large as 8 inches.
In addition to Waze, the Sync app link system also supports apps like Domino’s Pizza for ordering pizza on your way home and SpeedPass+ for paying for gas at the station – right from within your vehicle.
Ford and Amazon team up to offer consumers the ability to access their car from home, and call up other features from their vehicle via Alexa – Amazon’s cloud-based voice service
In addition to Waze support, Ford has announced Alexa integration. That means that ALL of Alexa’s skills will work from with inside of the EcoSport. You can request a flash news briefing, what the weather is, add items to your shopping cart, listen to audiobooks – you name it. Heck, you can even start your car up using Alexa and with the FordPass Alexa skill.
In addition to Alexa and support for the aforementioned apps, the EcoSport comes with two fast charging USB ports, a 12 volt power outlet, 4G LTE Wi-Fi from AT&T, and 911 Assist which automatically calls for help if you’re in an accident. Oh, and then there’s the FordPass app that lets you lock or unlock your car using your phone.
According to Ford Mobility’s Mobility Cloud API Supervisor, Elizabeth Halash, the company is also collaborating with Google, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Google assistant integration arrives soon.
All-new Ford EcoSport comes in four trim levels including S, SE, SES and Titanium (pictured). Each offers a features package for every driver preference.
Pricing for the 2018 Ford EcoSport begins at $19,995.
