Siri 'Eyes-Free' Service to Be Offered on Many of Next Year's Chevys

Chevrolet says that the Siri “Eyes-Free” service will be offered on next year’s Camaro, Cruze, Equinox, Malibu, SS and Volt.

Siri, which is an intelligent assistant from Apple, responds to voice commands and questions. It will be available through Chevrolet’s MyLink service (an infotainment system), GM said in a recent statement.

Chevrolet’s Spark and Sonic were the first cars to offer Siri "Eyes Free" earlier this year. So far, it has gotten a positive response from drivers – for the many things it can do while drivers keep their hands on the steering wheel and their eyes on the road.

2014 Camaro image courtesy Shutterstock
"The response to Siri Eyes-Free integration in Chevy Sonic and Spark from our customers has been remarkable," Chris Perry, Chevrolet’s vice president of U.S. Marketing, said in the statement. “Easy, reliable and portable connectivity is a top priority for our customers, and Siri complements MyLink's existing capabilities to help deliver an incredible driving experience, so we're excited to expand this to even more customers."

Drivers need a compatible iPhone with iOS 6 or iOS 7 for the Siri device to work. The iPhone is connected to the MyLink radio through Bluetooth.

The Eyes-Free mode can be used to make voice-activated, hands-free calls to numbers listed as contacts on iPhones. It can also be used to play songs included in iTunes collections, drivers can compose and send iMessages or text messages, and it can also access a calendar and add appointments. The cars which have Eyes-Free mode also feature six months of OnStar's premium Directions and Connections service.

In addition, BMW will include Siri Eyes Free in all cars starting with 2014 models, and Honda is including the feature in many 2013 models.

But not everyone is overwhelmed by the news. One reader of the MacRumors site, Oopl, responded to the news of Chevrolet having the Siri Eyes-Free feature, that it “isn't that big of a deal. I think most everyone is waiting on news of iOS in the car.”