Euros playing tech catch-up?

Ford is the unlikely leader in in-car connectivity... But not for long if the Euro prestige marques have their way

Attracting a new generation of drivers, US giant Ford has been progressive in introducing tech features such as iPhone integration, Twitter and Facebook into its vehicles -- at least in the US market. Luxury brands such as BMW and Mercedes-Benz are now looking to emulate the Blue Oval's tech success.

A recent article published by US news site Bloomberg looked at the pressures on luxury vehicle manufactures to stay one step ahead of the competition in regards to in-car technologies offered. The article describes the focus of Ford, in particular, in bringing new tech to purchases of vehicles in the traditionally non-prestige market.

Ford has been active in providing award-winning tech features such as MyFord Touch, SYNC and MyKey to its range.

MyFord Touch utilises voice commands to control many of the in- car games  interfaces today largely controlled by knobs.  These include audio, climate control, navigation and phone systems. Similarly SYNC AppLink is the Ford-branded version of a free software application that gives users of SYNC smartphone apps smarter, and importantly, safer control when on the move. In the USA SYNC-enabled apps include the Pandora internet radio, Stitcher news radio and OpenBeak for Twitter.

The MyKey system allows parents to allay some of the fears of letting their offspring onto the roads, effectively giving parental control to aspects such as vehicle speed and audio system volume levels. Cleverly the system will mute the teens' much prized car audio system if front seat occupants do not buckle seatbelts.

While voice command and MP3 player or smart phone controls are becoming standard features in most manufacturers' new car ranges, internet access and social media, such as Twitter and Facebook is only an emerging trend.

The Carsales Network spoke to David McCarthy, Senior Manager Corporate Communications at Mercedes-Benz Australia, asking if there is indeed pressure on prestige manufacturers to stay ahead in the in-car technology race.

"Increasingly one of the challenges is to build the tech and intelligence into a product and make money," McCarthy said.

McCarthy acknowledged that consumer perception and expectations of the prestige market had altered in recent times.

"Along with the expectations of safety and engineering quality, tech has become an important feature." he said.

Plus it seems our tolerance for things to work, and work quickly has diminished. In this time-poor world, when it comes to features such as Bluetooth pairing of phones, or streaming of music from our own devices; "unless it can be done within 30 seconds it's just not good enough. " McCarthy said.

Mercedes-Benz also acknowledges pressure from the hand-held GPS Satellite Navigation Unit market, which is improving in both quality and reduced cost year by year.  Furthermore, pressure comes from the entry-level end of automobile market which now sees $20K cars including features such as keyless entry and go, steering wheel controls and Bluetooth pairing. These were once found only in the prestige market.

McCarthy points to Mercedes' in-car entertainment innovations such as split screen viewing of DVD or television broadcasts now available in S-Class vehicles and filtering through the range in response to customer feedback. [Ed: this system was in fact pioneered by Jaguar Land Rover].

Elsewhere VW has just signed a deal with Microsoft to provide a similar system based around hard drive storage of large media files (such as full length movies) for in-car entertainment.

"The goal of the joint venture is to provide an infotainment software suite to enhance reuse of software for in-vehicle infotainment and to drive innovations," VW said in a statement this week.

"It is a battle between marketing versus engineering," McCarthy states. "We need to reduce weight in the cars to also reduce emissions, but at the same time increasing safety, convenience and luxury all add weight to the vehicle."

Meanwhile, over at BMW Group Australia, Piers Scott, Head of Corporate Communications was quick to point out what he describes as the key point of difference customers choose the BMW brand.

"BMW has traditionally been at the forefront of developing cutting edge in-car technologies. These fall under the brand BMW ConnectedDrive which covers three core areas -- safety, infotainment and luxury." Scott said.

"In terms of safety," Scott expanded, "unique features such as head-up display, Surround View and Night Vision with pedestrian recognition, all aid the driver to identify and avoid potential hazards as an 'active' safety feature".

"In terms of infotainment, BMW Internet is now offered in our cars, together with an 'Office' function which allows emails to be read out to the driver who can then dictate and send a reply without his or her hands leaving the wheel or eyes leaving the road." Scott said.

"In the case of luxury, the next generation of ConnectedDrive innovations have been showcased through a concept car dedicated specifically to highlight what is coming in the near-to-mid-term future from BMW. In particular it shows what will be possible in terms of car-to-car communication and the car communicating with its surroundings though an array of sensors, cameras and various other communications apparatus." Scott explained.

BMW believes it has a three-year lead on other luxury rivals in terms of software platforms and in-house technology development, Scott said.

BMW believes improvement in this area will be a strategic edge during future sales battles. The Vision ConnectedDrive made its world debut during the 2011 International Motor Show in Geneva during March. Within the 'Sheer Driving Pleasure' marketing catch-cry of BMW, the stated aim of Vison ConnetedDrive was to present: "immediately-mesmerising, intelligent solutions" utilising current and future networking technology.

From time to time BMW's description of this technology borders on mystical. Take for example the Passenger Information Display: "The passenger in a BMW Vision ConnectedDrive vehicle can also take advantage of additional functionalities provided by intelligent networking. As a co-pilot he can evaluate information or address details for the navigation system received online and forward them to the driver's instrument panel if necessary. Thus the interaction between the driver and the passenger and networking with the environment reach new levels."

And then there is the Emotional Browser: "The Emotional Browser makes an even more varied and individually-tailored choice of information possible. During the journey, this system captures and filters additional information about the environment through which the vehicle is currently travelling, in terms of people, mood or location. This personal configuration can be set at the start of the journey, but can also be adjusted on the road to be more or less detailed, to suit individual requirements."

While there is pressure rising within the automobile market, prestige manufacturers seem to be well aware of shifts in customer expectations. Nonetheless, the struggle to get everyday connectivity technology into the driving experience remains a design, marketing and engineering challenge.

A new generation of vehicle purchasers, raised on Twitter, Facebook and internet access at their finger-tips are urging manufactures to provide these facilities in-car -- and now... It's these demands that are driving innovation forward.

Read the latest Carsales Network news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at the carsales mobile site