The Ford Mustang has quickly become the most popular 2-door sports coupe in the world since the 2015 model was introducing on the global level. In each global market, the Mustang is fitted with an infotainment system designed to best fit with the locals, both in functionality and in the languages offered. In most cases, the same keyboard that we use here in the USA works just fine in many markets, but for those regions which speak a dialect with a unique alphabet, Ford has come up with unique keyboards for those markets.

The problem with the Chinese market is that their language is far too intricate for the basic letter system that we use in the USA, so prior to this new announcement, someone inputting an address in a Ford Mustang in China would have to deal with a slow process. Fortunately, with Ford’s newest SYNC 3 system for China, the process is as quick as writing something with your finger.

Chinese SYNC 3 in the Mustang

I am not going to pretend that I understand the Chinese alphabet, but according to Ford, the original SYNC 3 system in China required the driver to spell out each word, and then pick through a list of possible usages for that word. That system added extra steps, which makes the process of entering a navigation address more time consuming, but this new system combines swipe technology with handwriting recognition, so drivers can literally write their commands on the large touchscreen and the Ford Mustang will comprehend what is being requested.

This system is programmed to read and recognize more than 2,500 characters, making the infotainment system of the new Ford Mustang far more user-friendly for Chinese drivers.

“The Chinese version of SYNC 3 is far more than just a translation of a global technology,” said Fisher Xu, SYNC Supervisor for Ford Asia Pacific. “It’s really been localized to respond to a Chinese driver’s needs with a local point of view, from the voice commands that understand our accents and our habits, to the way we structure our statements. For instance, when you talk to a friend in China and they ask where you are, they’re really looking for a building name or a point of interest, not a street number. That’s probably different to other parts of the world, and SYNC 3 is smart enough to know this local preference, seamlessly.”

In addition to recognizing more than 2,500 characters, the new Ford Mustang SYNC 3 system for China will read handwriting at a 15-degree angle from each side, so both the driver and the passenger can write on the central touchscreen and the SYNC system will understand it.

This doesn’t make any difference to American Mustang fans or owners, but this is just one more way that Ford Motor Company is working to make their Mustang even more popular on a global level.