Screens – they are in people’s pockets, on the wall in every living room and omnipresent in every aspect of daily life. As in car technology evolves to adapt to an ever connected world, screens are the focal point in new cars and are becoming more than just the replacement for buttons, switches and knobs for the radio or climate control. 

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Ford  (F) – Get Free Report is taking the technology game to the next level, as its new luxurious Lincoln boasts a screen unseen in new cars. 

The Command Center for the road.

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The central feature of the new 2024 Lincoln Nautilus is not its large dimensions or the amount of space or comfort inside the cabin, but a new dashboard tailored for the driver.

Spanning the full width of the windshield is a 48-inch wide 4K screen featuring a new electronic system Ford calls the “Digital Experience.” 

Mounted at the base of the windshield, the huge screen is aimed at the driver’s line of sight in the same manner as traditional gauge clusters. The wide screen displays critical information such as the vehicle’s speed, tire pressure, fuel level, as well additional applications that include navigation, weather and streaming services like Spotify.

The portion of the screen in front of the driver acts as a replacement for the a traditional gauge cluster, displaying important vehicle information such as the speed and warning lights akin to a “normal” car. 

Toward the passenger side, however, is where things get different, as information from connected apps such as the weather or the song currently playing on Spotify can be placed to create a custom interface.

Ford/Lincoln’s Digital Experience uses Alphabet  (GOOGL) – Get Free Report affiliate Google’s in-car infotainment system, which can access Google profiles to remember individual settings and preferences such as music volume, climate control temperatures, seats and mirrors, as well as the apps on the display. 

Although these features make the Lincoln feel like a space ship’s command center, Ford is emphasizing the importance of keeping eyes on the road. Though controls for audio, climate and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto are located on a touch screen near the steering wheel, Ford has implemented the duties of the Google Assistant, as well as Amazon’s  (AMZN) – Get Free Report Alexa and Apple’s  (AAPL) – Get Free Report Siri to do functions that would normally direct eyes off the road, including typing in addresses for navigation directions.

The system’s capabilities are not limited to what’s behind the wheel, as it can be used to stream videos from YouTube, Prime Video, play games and even connect to Bluetooth keyboards to use the internet.

Ford plans to introduce the Digital Experience across its range of car brands including the Blue Oval itself, where a version of the technology may be adapted for use on its future vehicles. 

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