Siri is officially coming on board Honda automobiles.
The Japanese car manufacturer announced on Thursday that the 2013 Honda Accord, Acura RDX, and Acura ILX models will support Apple's Siri "Eyes Free" feature, which customers can purchase as a dealer-installed option this year.
As of now, these are the only models that Honda says will be capable of supporting Siri.
"iPhone has become so integral to people's lives that they continue to use them in their vehicles," said Vicki Poponi, assistant vice president of automobile product planning at American Honda, in a press release. "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."
So what is Siri Eyes Free, anyway? Developed primarily as a way to put an end to drivers fiddling around with their smartphones, Eyes Free lets users take advantage of Siri without forcing them to remove their hands from the steering wheel.
Once an device compatible with iOS 6 is plugged into a car's dashboard, Eyes Free keeps the iPhone or iPad screen from lighting up, meaning there's no reason to take your eyes off the road in the first place. Simply touch a button on the steering wheel and tell Siri whatever your heart desires.
Presumably, this would be a nice way to ask Siri for directions without touching your device at all, but if the screen doesn't light up at all then it seems like you or anyone else would be able to look at a map or plan ahead while Eyes Free is activated. You'll have to rely solely on Siri's voice for navigation.
Honda isn't the only car company joining hands with Siri, though. Companies like General Motors, Chrysler, Toyota, BMW, Mercedes, Land Rover, Audi, and Hyundai have all pledged support for the feature, though many have yet to confirm which car models will get it.
So far, we do know that GM's Chevy Spark and Sonic LTZ and RS will come with Eyes Free built right into the cars when they go on sale this year.
