Engadget previews Ford SYNC 2.0 before November release

Ford's new SYNC system is already helping the automaker sell cars, and the Microsoft-sourced technology is primed to deliver even more bang for the buck this fall. Sync 2.0 is set to drop on Ford, Lincoln, and Mercury vehicles this November, but our friends over at Engadget got an early peek of the updates to come.

First on the list of improvements is 911 Assist, which enables your SYNC'd Bluetooth phone to call 911 automatically in the event of an airbag-deployed accident. SYNC also interacts with the vehicle's PCM and can send vehicle health reports to an owner's email address using the signal from your own phone. We're looking forward to getting our hands on a Ford vehicle with SYNC 2.0, and although we have no intention of testing 911 Assist, the Vehicle Health Report tool sounds like an interesting and useful application of the service.

Engadget also got the scoop on some items that may appear in SYNC 3.0, which should debut sometime in 2009. Some of the enhancements could include access to sports, weather, traffic and news, all without the need for an expensive nav system. If you do have a navigation system, you can already get Sirius Travel Link for a monthly fee of $7, which comes with live traffic info, movie times, gas station listings by price and sports scores.