When Apple revealed Siri Eyes Free for the first time during the 2012 Worldwide Developers Conference, the California-based company made it known that it had already signed partnership deals with more than nine automakers to incorporate the technology into their cars. One of these automakers was Honda and the car manufacturer has now declared that it will add support for Siri’s Eyes Free mode to the 2013 Acura RDX / ILX and Accord models. Many observers are left wondering why Honda has not offered the feature in its most popular model, the Civic. It would seem that Siri, Apple’s voice activated concierge service, would be hugely popular with younger users who also are a key demographic for the Civic.
The announcement stated that Siri Eyes Free will be a “dealer installed option” and later in 2013 owners with iOS 6 powered iPhone will be able to instruct Siri to perform specific tasks without taking their hands off the steering wheel or their eyes off the road while driving.
Assistant Vice President of Automobile Product Planning at American Honda, Vicki Poponi said that “iPhone has become so integral to people’s lives that they continue to use them in their vehicles. Offering Honda and Acura owners Siri and its Eyes Free mode via Bluetooth is an incredible opportunity to provide next-generation connectivity and meet our customer’s ever-changing needs.”
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