What is the 21st Century replacement for the cup holder? Try the ford Sync system.

I was in Seattle late in the summer for the rollout of the Sync in the Ford Focus. The system is pretty neat, but I was off in my thinking that a $395 option would not sway young buyers to purchase a Ford product. Boy was I wrong!

Ford's Sync, which allows drivers to operate their car's stereo, personal music device and mobile phone by voice, has proven to be a winner with young consumers, a demographic the automaker needs to reach.

Since the hands-free connectivity system was unveiled last fall, Ford has sold more than 66,000 units of the $395 option in 12 different Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicles. But more importantly, Ford executives say - and some analysts agree - the system has helped the company reach younger buyers looking for small cars.