General Motors confirmed that it will be the first automaker to integrate Apple’s Siri early next year in the Chevrolet Spark and Sonic LTZ and RS. Chevrolet made the announcement at the Los Angeles International Auto Show today.
Earlier this year at WWDC the company had announced it would support Siri, and today’s announcement confirms which cars will support this service by connecting devices to the standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system that’s installed in Chevrolet models. So customers with a compatible iPhone running iOS 6 can direct Siri in a number of tasks while keeping eyes safely on the road and hands on the wheel.
In an extra safety precaution, the service takes hands-free driving one step further with the Eyes Free mode that only lets users interact with their phone with nothing other than voice while also keeping the screen from lighting up. All owners have to do is connect their iPhone to the MyLink radio via Bluetooth, pair with the system, and use the steering wheel voice activation button to start and end sessions with Siri in Eyes Free mode.
Here’s what you can do with Siri in Eyes Free mode:
- Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
- Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
- Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
- Access Calendar and add appointments
- Minimize distraction even more by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays
- While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.
Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars, said:
“It says a lot about out commitment to small-car customers that Chevroley has announced that Siri Eyes Free capability will be available in the Spark and Sonic well before the luxury brands. Sage, easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink’s existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience.”
