Ford Motor Company today became the first US automaker to announce the availability of factory-installed HD Radio technology as a standard or optional feature on Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles beginning in calendar year 2009.
This follows on from the introduction in 2007 of HD Radio as a dealer installed option, which has been a success as HD Radio is now available to over 80% of the US population with more than 1,500 AM/FM stations.
“Our goal is to offer drivers the best new features and the most choice,” said Jim Buczkowski, Ford’s director of Electrical System Engineering. “The great local content, the crystal-clear sound quality and the variety of channels and data services offered by HD Radio is exactly what customers are beginning to expect in their vehicles. Moving forward, a radio will no longer be considered competitive if it doesn’t include digital technology.”
With its significantly better quality sound, the HD Radio becomes yet another in car technology for Ford, as it joins SYNC and the next-generation of navigation, Sirius Travel Link to create a range of quality sources of entertainment and information.
Via [Ford Vehicles]
Its hard to believe that Ford is the first US automaker to make HD radio available. I personally thought that this was old news and many manufacturers were doing this.. but i guess i was wrong.