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Technology set to redefine your car-owning experience

LifestyleTechnology set to redefine your car-owning experience

Cars of the future have one thing in common—the heavy use of technology to make them safer, more reliable and convenient to use. Automakers across the world and even in India are focusing on making cars that are more connected, ones you can speak to and ones that will make your drive a hassle-free experience. Two cars that will launch in the Indian market in the next couple of months claim to be highly connected. One comes from an iconic British car maker that is making its India debut while the second one comes from one the most trusted brands in India. We’re talking about M.G. Motor and Hyundai respectively and the binding factor is that both these cars are SUVs albeit in different segments.

M.G. Hector

Earlier this week M.G. Motor (Morris Garages) showcased the kind technology their first offering in India, the Hector will be laden with. The iSMART developed in partnership with some big global technology players promises to disrupt how we look at infotainment system in our cars. In fact, the company is calling the SUV the first Internet car in India that will redefine connected mobility. Along with its strong consortium of global tech partners that includes Microsoft, Adobe, Unlimit, SAP, Cisco, Gaana, TomTom and Nuance, the carmaker unveiled several industry-first features of Internet-enabled cars that will be available in the Hector.

A 10.4-inch screen with a vertical interface allows the driver to control the entire car system with just a touch or voice command. The system comes pre-loaded with entertainment content along with an embedded M2M 5G ready sim that ensures that the car remains connected. This enables the users to receive real-time software, entertainment content and application updates. Then there’s Voice assist which has been specifically designed for India for Indian accent learning and allows over 100 commands, including opening and closing of windows and sunroof, ac control, navigation etc.

The system will house the world leader TomTom’s real-time navigation application. This would mean regular updation of maps, routes and locations through their IQ Maps feature. It also comes with pre-loaded apps for playing music and weather forecasts. Also through the iSMART mobile App the owner can directly lock or unlock doors, turn on ignition and switch on the air-conditioner. They can also locate their cars remotely and geo fence it, so that it cannot be taken out of a predefined zone. M.G. has set up a customer management service centre called the Pulse Hub. This will enable eCall emergency response in all M.G. cars. If a car’s airbags are deployed under an emergency condition, automatic messages are sent to the Pulse Hub and the registered phones along with a series of emergency response actions that get activated instantly. Also with a touch on the screen, driver is connected to Pulse Hub for a host of information services.

Hyundai Venue

Hyundai will enter the very popular Sub-compact SUV space next month with the Venue. The country’s second largest car manufacturer is saying the Venue will be India’s first truly smart connected SUV with most advanced connectivity solutions. “BlueLink” is Hyundai’s global technology which will be introduced in the Indian market with 33 features out of which 10 would be India specific features for most practical and holistic connectivity with safety, convenience and various vehicle management relationship services.

Just like M.G., Hyundai too says its system is developed and rigorously tested in India for the customers keeping in mind their day-to-day needs, the challenges faced on Indian roads while driving and most importantly their need for safety. The SOS (Save Our Souls), road side assistance and BlueLink button are on the inside rear view mirror (IRVM) for easy accessibility.  Safety features like vehicle theft tracking and immobilisation for recovery of stolen vehicles are a part of the system. Plus it also gets speed alert, geo fence alert, panic notification and share destination. Remote control functions like engine start/stop, climate control, door lock/unlock, horn honk & light and vehicle status are there too. The primary owner of the car can connect many other family members or friends so that they will receive emergency notifications in case of any distress thereby providing peace of mind.

This system too gets an eSIM and a cloud-based voice recognition platform from a global artificial intelligence company. The device will project real time traffic navigation and live local search in collaboration with a global map company. And here too voice recognition has the ability to catch any local English accent which has been developed specifically for customers from different regions in India.

 

Shams Naqvi is an anchor/producer for the News X motor show Living Cars      

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