Scothew

Also posted here: http://forums.bradbarnett.net/showthread.php?t=62693

From Media.Ford.Com


FORD TEAMS WITH SONY ELECTRONCS FOR AUDIO SYSTEMS IN NORTH AMERICAN VEHICLES

• Ford signs long-term agreement with Sony Electronics for Sony-branded audio systems in Ford and Mercury brand vehicles in North America.
• Move is part of broader strategy at Ford to equip its North American vehicles with clearly identifiable signature technologies.
• Agreement allows Ford and Sony to collaborate on marketing initiatives.

DEARBORN, Mich., March 28– Ford Motor Company [NYSE: F] and Sony Electronics today announced they have signed an agreement to offer Sony-branded audio systems across the lineup of Ford and Mercury branded vehicles in North America starting in 2008. The first vehicle to be equipped with Sony-branded audio will be unveiled April 4 at the New York Auto Show.

“We have enjoyed a very successful partnership at Ford of Europe with Sony-branded audio,” said Derrick Kuzak, Ford group vice president of Global Product Development. “Customers tell us that good audio systems are high on their list of priorities. Sony-branded audio and a host of other signature technologies will help differentiate Ford products in the marketplace.”

“Ford and Sony are two of the world’s most well known brands,” said Don Courvisier, vice president and general manager for the Automotive Entertainment Solutions Group at Sony Electronics in the United States and Europe. “This arrangement is a natural fit given our success together in Europe.”
This is the third collaboration between Sony and Ford in North America. Ford and Sony offered a limited-edition Focus Sedan in 2000, outfitted with Sony Xplod® audio equipment. More recently, Ford offered “Sound Designed by Sony” in the Ford Focus in North America.

In Europe, Sony-branded audio systems are offered in the Mondeo, Focus, C-Max, S-Max and Galaxy models.

Strong Brand
Ford signed a long-term agreement with Sony in part because of the strong connection American consumers have with the Sony brand, Kuzak said. Sony continues to rank as the top consumer brand in the United States when consumers were asked to name the brands they consider the best, according to the annual Harris Interactive® consumer brand survey. For the seventh year consecutive year, and the ninth time in the last 11 years, Sony was rated No. 1. The latest survey results were released July 12, 2006.

Part of Broader Electronics Effort at Ford
Offering branded audio with Sony is another example of Ford’s effort to deploy new consumer-driven electronic features in Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. In January, Ford and Microsoft announced Ford Sync™, an industry leading, voice-activated in-car communications and entertainment system for mobile phones and digital music players that will be available later this year, and on vehicles equipped with Sony branded audio systems.

Since 2002, the Lincoln brand has offered THX Certified audio systems in its vehicles. THX Certified Car Audio Systems produce sound quality comparable to a THX Certified Home Theater. More recently, Sirius satellite radio became available in most Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. DVD-based satellite navigation systems became available in most vehicles beginning in 2005.

Ford Motor Company, a global automotive industry leader based in Dearborn, Mich., manufactures or distributes automobiles in 200 markets across six continents. With more than 280,000 employees and more than 100 plants worldwide, the company’s core and affiliated automotive brands include Ford, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lincoln, Mercury, Volvo, Aston Martin and Mazda. The company provides financial services through Ford Motor Credit Company. For more information regarding Ford’s products, please visit www.fordvehicles.com.

vistablue mustang

Good move, Sony makes great products and they sure beat the hell out of Delphi. Hopefully the next Mustang will have a nice skip free head unit in it . Way to go Mullay

RRRoamer

They USED to make great consumer electronics too (TVs, DVD players, etc), but that line has gone to hell in a hand basket over the last decade quality wise. I just hope their car audio division hasn't followed the TV guys off the cliff...

SteelTownStang

Although I personally have never had any problems with Ford's radios- Delphi, or whatever... It appears that I'm in the minority. Sony makes good products so this news definitely comes as a positive.

Cheese302

I feel that sony is very low quality in their car audio equipment.

i have always loved sony's other stuff, digital cameras, tv's, PS2, and others, but i have had a couple sony head units, and was all but satisfied with it.

i think in an OE aplication though, i am sure the stuff wil work a lot better. however i feel doing work with pioneer or a host of others would have been better. lastly i think that the recent delphi equipment has been fine.
my shaker has been skip free since i got it. and experience with aftermarket delphi made electronics has been very pleasent IMO

kevinb120

I'm with ya there, word for word

People still think its great stuff, so its a good move for Ford. Remember this is not the first time with the Sony special package on the Focus in 2000, and they still have Sony labled speakers in new ones now.

DarkFireGT

Great now we get low quality sound systems with no bass and tiny highs. Way to go Ford.

metroplex

So Ford is teaming up with Sony again? This isn't the first time.

Cowtown

Yeah, ah well we'll see how it goes.

Murphy77

yikes they are now offering sony what were they thinking.....i have been slowly buying new home electronic stuff that was sony cuz its gone to hell in a hand basket....i had sony speakers i put in my nissan and they all blew up....switched to jbl.....sony home theater blew up....switched to a panasonic chepo in a box and it`s like 100 times better....now my sony tv which is like 3 yrs old is starting to go....just when i am getting close to trading in for a mustang they switch....i know the first thing ill be replacing will be

Hollywood_North GT

Define "blew up."

I have never had any troubles with Sony products. If you know anything at all about speakers, you NEVER buy the speakers made by Japanese electronics giants anyway.

Like anything else, if you buy at the lower end of their product lineup (and this goes for the other big electronic companies, too), you are getting stuff that has been outsourced to China or Taiwan or Malaysia, or whatever. Like all the other G8 countries, the price of labor has gone up.

If you buy Sony's high end stuff, that stuff is still made in Japan and ought to be relatively trouble-free. You get what you pay for.

2Slack

I have never heard anything good about Sony's car audio products, especially the head units.

kevinb120

Sony won't make any difference as far as oem car stereos go.

Go to http://www.maddox.xmission.com/ and read Maddox's blog on Sony, 2nd one down.

n00bstang

sony has been sucking recently. seems like ford is a decade or two behind.

Hollywood_North GT

Remember that Sony is a marketing juggernaut.

This also gives Ford the possibility of being featured in some of Sony Pictures' films as well. You saw a good example of that when the Mondeo concept showed up in Casino Royale.

My guess is that Ford ain't just thinkin' about a few Sony stereos in its cars...not by a long shot.

And either way, the Sony brand name still carries a lot of weight among average consumers - who will perceive this as a step up for Ford - even though many of us here understand there are plenty of other manufacturers who offer superior car audio products.

DynamicmustangGT

Why didnt they dicover that the consumer wants an irs option, or something that matters more than a speaker that I can replace on my own? and yes I know that they are looking into more marketing and other aspects of the business, but this is only going to raise prices.

Hollywood_North GT

An excellent question, particularly since it would apparently have only added about $200 to the per unit cost of the vehicle, and not the $5000 they would have us believe.

drakino

I hope that this doesn't mean crappy looking "bling" stereo options, and instead just good sounding and functioning systems that look integrated in the car. Can't stand all the crap on sale at Car Toys and such these days. Sure, it's flashy with 1500 light up buttons and such, but stick that into the dash and it looks so horribly out of place.

DynamicmustangGT

Yeah that stuff is bogus, but sony makes some nicer looking stuff and ford will probably not let their radio's like like it belongs in a honda, at least I am hoping so anyway

DynamicmustangGT

Thats my point ford will raise costs probably 500 for the new radios and it would only be around that cost for irs in these cars?