Hands-on reviews: digital gauge cluster, display screens, SYNC 4 -- which media are calling impressive

[Evo1986]

The 2024 Porsche Cayenne is bucking the trend toward iPad-like touch screens mounted on the dash.

To those who were always complaining about the dashboard not being put neatly: Is this the way you were hoping the dashboards to be? Nicely wrapped by the console? It is a serious question, because many hate the dashboards being placed on top of something. I really want to know what you guys wished to happen instead.

Please justify with some visual examples if possible.

Sponsored

 

[lcbrownz]

To those who were always complaining about the dashboard not being put neatly: Is this the way you were hoping the dashboards to be? Nicely wrapped by the console? It is a serious question, because many hate the dashboards being placed on top of something. I really want to know what you guys wished to happen instead.

Please justify with some visual examples if possible.

It is called fine German engineering.

 

[Twin Turbo]

This has been posted before.........it was one of the official renders for S550 that didn't make it. For me, the S550 interior is gorgeous and didn't really need much updating.

Me?

I'd start with this. Just update the current 12" screen in front of the driver with better graphics. Make the centre screen 12", but vertical, giving it the same cool graphical interface the S650 has. Under this, I'd have physical buttons for the HVAC and ICE/NAV.

Then up the quality of the materials several notches above the current Premium trim and that's all that was needed.

To a degree, think of how the 2005-2009 interior morphed into the 2010-2014. The same overall architecture, just with better detailing, more tech and better quality.

I like the S650 interior, but it's too generic to my eyes. Yes, you can argue it shares a similar layout to the Fox but, as much as I love the Fox Mustang, it's interior isn't something I want to revisit.

For me, the "dual brow" dash is as much a Mustang signature as the triple red tail lamps.

 

[Desmodeous]

I’m honestly shocked at all the hate here. For starters, the last mustang had a digital speedo and tach. This takes that to the next level and seems to allow for even more customization; a good thing.

I seriously wanted to pull the trigger on the 2023 LCI 3 series BMW, the connected displays “wrapping” around the driver seemed miles ahead of other manufacturers just throwing bigger screens on dashboards designed for single/double DIN radios. BMW (and other German brands as pointed out above) have historically been praised for their advancements in tech and new features. That screen came out as a seemingly industry first in 2023. Now a year later, FORD OF ALL COMPANIES, is right on par with the Germans in terms of tech??? I’m personally shocked how quick they were to match the competition and don’t really understand all the hate from everyone.

I personally cannot wait for my infotainment system to be bigger than an iPad Pro, with the graphics to match. Now that it’s also a real time operating system, we don’t have to wait on poorly coded default animations either, and lag/response times should be greatly improved. I personally decided to pull the trigger almost exclusively because of the dash.
Finally, For those That think you need physical buttons in 2023, how’s this forum looking on that touchscreen phone of yours?

You actually trust Ford to support this hysterical fever-dream of a dash? Have you seen how they can't manage their own FordPass service app? The design budget was the left-over change from a broken piggy bank. The S650 is just a marketing gimmick. It would have been great to incorporate elements that appeal to a younger target market, but it seems Ford did it at the expense of it's bread and butter. My mustangs for the last 20 years have been my daily driver. When this one is put out to pasture, I'll be looking for a different horse-trader.

 

[lcbrownz]

change scares people, this happens every generation with every industry. Ford moving to a digital screen 10 years from now will be seen as literally nothing like how nobody talks these days about Ford moving from live axle to IRS. same shit different day.

But sometimes the designers get it wrong and the public hates it. When Ford changed the Mustang dash in 2010, a lot of folks of the MCA (Mustang Club of America) hated the change because it lost some of its historic significance.

 

[Interstellar]

You actually trust Ford to support this hysterical fever-dream of a dash? Have you seen how they can't manage their own FordPass service app? The design budget was the left-over change from a broken piggy bank. The S650 is just a marketing gimmick. It would have been great to incorporate elements that appeal to a younger target market, but it seems Ford did it at the expense of it's bread and butter. My mustangs for the last 20 years have been my daily driver. When this one is put out to pasture, I'll be looking for a different horse-trader.

What do you mean support the dash?

 

[KINGKONA]

Looks worse than I was expecting.

That's quite an achievement.

 

[shogun32]

What do you mean support the dash?

fix bugs. let alone try to improve it without breaking things. The FordPass app is incredibly unstable and crashprone. Maybe (likely) it's outsourced but what does it tell you that they haven't fired that dev team with prejudice? What does it tell you that they even QC and approved it for roll-out without any serious testing? Does the same gross incompetence carry over to the Sync4 team, and specifically those assigned to the Mustang branch?

 

[Interstellar]

fix bugs. let alone try to improve it without breaking things. The FordPass app is incredibly unstable and crashprone. Maybe (likely) it's outsourced but what does it tell you that they haven't fired that dev team with prejudice? What does it tell you that they even QC and approved it for roll-out without any serious testing? Does the same gross incompetence carry over to the Sync4 team, and specifically those assigned to the Mustang branch?

I think we should wait until people can actually use it before we start bashing it over unknowns.

 

[BreadBurner]

10 years from now, with the help of AI, the electric Ford Mustang will have achieved Level 5 (Full Driving Automation) technology.(certainly not in Europe)

why not in Europe?

 

[lcbrownz]

I think we should wait until people can actually use it before we start bashing it over unknowns.

Sure; wait until the 1st recall of the display going dark before we bash it.

 

[dusman59]

Well that would depend on if one can still drive it to the dealer with a black screen. The GM trucks with analog gauges failed awhile back with a $500 repair after warranty. So with digital stuff no moving parts and once the burn in is done failures should be low on displays.

 

[Evo1986]

This has been posted before.........it was one of the official renders for S550 that didn't make it. For me, the S550 interior is gorgeous and didn't really need much updating.

Me?

I'd start with this. Just update the current 12" screen in front of the driver with better graphics. Make the centre screen 12", but vertical, giving it the same cool graphical interface the S650 has. Under this, I'd have physical buttons for the HVAC and ICE/NAV.

Then up the quality of the materials several notches above the current Premium trim and that's all that was needed.

To a degree, think of how the 2005-2009 interior morphed into the 2010-2014. The same overall architecture, just with better detailing, more tech and better quality.

I like the S650 interior, but it's too generic to my eyes. Yes, you can argue it shares a similar layout to the Fox but, as much as I love the Fox Mustang, it's interior isn't something I want to revisit.

For me, the "dual brow" dash is as much a Mustang signature as the triple red tail lamps.

To me this looks old af and cheap if you look at the materials and the big ass GT on the dash. I mean it would have been maybe a dream for the die hard oldschool fans, but realistically this would have never been the case for a 2024 model.

I do like some elements of that picture though, such as (if I see that correctly) the toggles around the middle console and the air vents.

 

[Shawn82]

You actually trust Ford to support this hysterical fever-dream of a dash? Have you seen how they can't manage their own FordPass service app? The design budget was the left-over change from a broken piggy bank. The S650 is just a marketing gimmick. It would have been great to incorporate elements that appeal to a younger target market, but it seems Ford did it at the expense of it's bread and butter. My mustangs for the last 20 years have been my daily driver. When this one is put out to pasture, I'll be looking for a different horse-trader.

See this is how I know you guys are just complaining to complain. You're already counting out the dash that the reviews are literally stating to be phenomenal. Ford went out of their way to use some of the best software we have today (Unreal Engine, etc) and develop a top tier infoitainment system. Yet you're here comparing it to an app lol you can't make this up. I hate to sound like I'm kissing Ford's ass but some of you are literally being insufferable with something you haven't even gotten a chance to experience yet. We had a taste of this with the 12 inch cluster in our S550s and honestly it's an extremely good system. Very little lag, very quick response, and drop dead gorgeous. This seems like a direct continuation of what we have and that alone is a win. I swear I don't understand how we've had such innovation in life with some of you guys' mindsets lol.

 

[shogun32]

The press is paid to loudly shill for Ford. They don't dare tell the truth.

The unreal engine is 20 years old. But doesn't mean the wrapper software isn't chock full of bugs. The app was brought up because even though a high school dropout could write better code and yet with all it's millions of dollars and large manpower @Ford Motor Company is perfectly proud to ship the worst crap in the industry.

Finally a dash sole task is to provide useful information at a 0.5 second or shorter glance. "pretty" is the antithesis of it's one mission. It is also not there to entertain or give you a chubby over goo-gah.

That Ford thinks this is the way forward quite frankly should be a big insult since apparently you all have vapid minds and child like mental capacity and attention span.

And in keeping with that ethos: my opinion is every bit as valid as yours. You Will hear me and validate my rightness. Or else I'll stamp my feet and post "how dare you" like some autistic child and other such self-involved opprobrium on social media for the purpose of self validation.

Ps. Be sure to Like and Subscribe because unless I say so in my every post, you won't remember to do so, despite having Liked random strangers posts on a daily basis for the last 15 years...

Sponsored