Ford Sync 4 Will Help Drivers Find Open Parking Spots, Cheap Gas

• Using data from INRIX, Ford's new Sync 4 infotainment system will allow drivers to find open parking and compare gas prices.
• The Sync 4 system will first be seen in the 2021 F-150, and then the Mach-E and Bronco.
• INRIX's real-time data on parking is available in nearly 20,000 cities in 150 countries.

Ford is doing an overhaul of its Sync infotainment system, and has now announced that its Sync 4 system will pull data from INRIX, an analytics company, to provide drivers with up-to-date information on the cheapest gas—or charger—available and open parking spots. The first vehicles to have the option of Ford's Sync 4 with this added parking and gas information capability will be the Mustang Mach-E, the 2021 F-150, and the two-door and four-door Bronco. The F-150 gets it first, and a Ford spokesman told Car and Driver that Sync 4 will be standard on all F-150 trim levels. The parking and gas feature, however, is part of an optional embedded navigation system.

Using the INRIX data, the Sync 4 system will give drivers information on the closest street parking or garage spot, and also information on any fees, restrictions, and real-time occupancy. INRIX's real-time data on parking is available in nearly 20,000 cities in 150 countries.

Ford has previously announced that its Sync 4 system will come with bigger screens, an over-the-air update system, and machine learning so the system can make "helpful suggestions at the right time based on previous usage." The Sync 4 system will be first offered on the 2021 F-150, which is slated to go on sale this fall.

Colin Beresford

Staff Editor

 Colin Beresford, a born and raised metro Detroiter, has been surrounded by the auto industry his entire life. For most of his formative years, he didn’t know who in their right mind would drive anything but an American-made car. He’s passionate about all the ways that people get around, even if it doesn’t involve a car or a driver. What he looks for in a vehicle is simple: it needs to be able to get him where the skiing, climbing, backpacking, or fly fishing is.