At CES 2016, Ford as well as FCA – the company behind Chrysler and Dodge – announced that they will be supporting Android Auto as well as Apple CarPlay. Ford, however unlike GM – specifically Chevrolet – is not putting Android Auto in all of their 2017 models. Right now they are starting off with the 2017 Ford Escape which will go on sale in May with Android Auto support. The 2017 Escape will be Ford’s first vehicle with the new Sync 3 technology which includes both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. Ford hasn’t mentioned what other models will be coming to the market with Android Auto just yet. The 2017 Escape will also be the first to support Sync Connect, which is their LTE technology that allows customers to start their car with their smartphone, lock, unlock and much more.
Ford has begun manufacturing the 2017 Escape at their assembly plant in Louisville, KY and will be on dealer lots in May. No specific date in May was given just yet, however. The Ford Escape is Ford’s crossover vehicle which has sold fairly well in the last few years, and was shown off at the North American International Auto Show earlier this year in Detroit. Which is near Ford’s world-headquarters in Dearborn, MI. Included in the new Escape are features like Auto start/stop, for those that just brake suddenly in front of you. This is something that is becoming a pretty big feature on most cars these days. The 2017 Audi Q7 we drove last week also had this feature and it worked flawlessly. Additionally, there is parking assist. Which uses cameras in the back of the car to help you get into your parking spot without any issues.
While Ford has been in Google’s Open Automotive Alliance the entire time, they did take their sweet time in getting Android Auto onto their vehicles. As well as Chrysler, and Dodge. But it is nice to see it finally coming along. The Ford Escape starts at a MSRP of $23,600. Luckily Sync is included, and you won’t need to pay extra for the service to be included in the 2017 Ford Escape. We should see more from Ford later this year, on the Android Auto front.