One of the nicest features for a smart driving experience is Apple Carplay. There are now a lot of businesses using this programme, but as technology develops, it’s very likely that automakers may wish to create their own entertainment systems.
For instance, starting in 2024, General Motors wants to phase out CarPlay in its electric vehicles. According to Ford’s CEO Jim Farley, there have been rumours that starting in 2023, it was going to phase out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility from their new vehicles.
The widely used Apple CarPlay and Android Auto technologies, which let users bypass a car’s infotainment system, will gradually be phased out by General Motors (GM), who will instead switch to built-in infotainment systems created with Google for future electric vehicles.
The new built-in infotainment system will be featured in the 2024 Chevrolet Blazer. According to GM, with this system, they will be able to capture data on how users drive and charge EVs.
ACO Tech today launched ATLAS, an automotive operating system solution which it led and developed locally. ATLAS aims to shape a new automotive ecosystem of connected software and hardware, including an in-vehicle infotainment system, a mobile application (ATLAS Auto) and a human-touch communication such as wearable technology that connects with the vehicle and the mobile application.
Specifically designed to integrate the concept of humanised connected lifestyle into the drivers’ automotive experience, ATLAS is a scalable ecosystem that can be customised into the automaker’s development cycle. The operating system on the open-source Android 10 platform and above.
Today, there are more than 10,000 vehicles on the road equipped with ATLAS and ATLAS Auto App. It is now available in vehicles fitted with the ATLAS Infotainment Head Unit.
ACO Tech has also established a partnership that will provide end-to-end in-vehicle connected services using its ATLAS proprietary technology. The strategic partnership is with UOB Malaysia, Fass Payment Solutions Sdn Bhd, and FIVE Petroleum Malaysia.
Vehicular payment feature
ACO Tech, UOB Malaysia and Fasspay will work together to implement a car-based digital wallet system and an integrated automotive payment system that are tailored for the in-car environment. These features will be available by the fourth quarter of 2022.
The collaboration with FIVE will further strengthen ATLAS’ user experience by offering nationwide automotive-related support through a network of approved service providers, automotive merchants and refuelling experience at FIVE petrol stations.
Connected and personalised driving experience
“As auto manufacturers strive to deliver a connected and personalised driving experience to the consumers, it is imperative for ATLAS to be agile, scalable and ever-evolving. While ensuring our technology capabilities are optimised to rapidly adapt to the demanding needs, building relationships with industry partners continues to be a priority for ACO Tech to provide innovative in-car experiences that make perfect sense to the drivers,” said Li Pu, CEO of ACO Tech.
Mr. Li Pu said that, with the partnership, ACO Tech can further broaden ATLAS’ competencies and make its offerings accessible at home, on the road and everywhere in between. “Essentially, our vision for our technologies is to enrich and complement every part of our users’ lives in the best way possible,” he explained.
He added that a global partnership which focuses on audio streaming experience is well under way and will be announced by the end of this month.
Supporting smart mobility lifestyle
At the launch event today, ACO Tech also signed a Memorandum of Understanding to expand its partnership with Huawei Technologies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd to continuously develop cloud-based automotive solutions on Huawei Cloud for regional markets. The extended collaboration will see both companies leverage their technological capabilities to accelerate innovations in software applications for Big Data and Artificial Intelligence to further promote the adoption of the smart mobility lifestyle.
The locally-assembled BMW 320i Sport has received an upgrade to advance digitisation in the car. This upgrade relates to the latest infotainment system – the new BMW Live Cockpit Professional. Priced from RM243,883.65 without insurance and with exemption of 100% of sales tax applicable (until the end of the year), the latest model is about RM4,000 more than before.
Larger displays and higher resolution
The BMW Live Cockpit Professional, designed with a drive-focused orientation, provides a larger 10.25-inch full colour display with 1920×720 resolution. This is not only larger than the 8.8-inch display used before but also has higher resolution. The instrument display cluster is also enlarged, now using a 12.3-inch display in place of the previous 5.1-inch screen. The infotainment has BMW’s iDrive Operating System 7.0 with smartphone connectivity by Apple CarPlay.
The focused and fully-configurable display also features a minimalistic, uniform appearance that offers more space in the centre for navigation and other important information prioritised by the driver. The selected Driver Experience modes in Sport, Comfort and Eco Pro are also displayed with a consistent colour and visual treatment across the instrument cluster and centre display.
Counter-clockwise sweep for tachometer
As with some other models, the new instrument display’s tachometer (situated on the right side) has a counter-clockwise sweep for the pointer, starting from the bottom. This may take some getting used to as most drivers have long been used to both speedometer and tachometer having clockwise sweeps. Incidentally, the Peugeot i-Cockpit also has a similar display concept.
The fuel level, speed and engine temperature are presented in tube rings. Configurable functions and widgets include the sports scoreboards, driving data, fuel consumption and efficiency, as well as the g-force meter and radio or media playback.
For some, the new digi-graphic displays may not appeal as much as the traditional circular meters. There are pros and cons and there will also be a segment of drivers who have grown up with digital displays as part of their lives (from computer games) and will be fine with this change. One advance of digital displays is that they can be changed to suit personal preference, showing information which the driver considers more important.
Also included is the BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant that with voice-recognition and voice-activation. The latter can be used to manage vehicle settings, navigation, and entertainment systems, starting with a simple ‘Hey BMW’ expression or an individual personal activation word that the driver can set. Additionally, BMW ConnectedDrive offers Intelligent Emergency Call and Teleservices that will activate automatically if a serious accident occurs.
Engine specs unchanged
The technical specifications for the 320i Sport remain unchanged with the 2-litre TwinPower Turbo petrol engine paired with an 8-speed Steptronic Sport transmission. With 184 bhp/300 Nm, the 320i Sport has a claimed 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.1 seconds and top speed of 235 km/h. Various fuel-saving measures and technologies help to keep fuel consumption to almost 16 kms/litre, it is claimed.
“The hallmark of Sheer Driving Pleasure for the BMW brand, the BMW 3-Series is a remarkable sports sedan that we are proud to locally assemble here with all-new technological updates for our customers in Malaysia. Close to 2,000 units of the BMW 320i Sport have been delivered since its January 2020 release, and this success comes as no surprise for the best-selling premium sports sedan in Malaysia. This new addition serves to prove our consistent investments in the local automotive industry, in hopes to continue driving its recovery in the year ahead,” said Hans de Visser, MD of BMW Group Malaysia.
As dealerships are closed during Phase 1 of the National Recovery Plan, it is not possible for customers to view or test-drive the new model at this time. However, they can make use of BMW Shop online for more information and also to make a booking. For those who have already decided to get one, there’s a financing plan from BMW Group Financial Services Malaysia with monthly instalments starting from RM2,708.00 (terms and conditions apply).
When digital graphic displays were available for use in cars, they were inserted in the dashboard, usually in the middle section. Before long, interior designers began to bring the display ‘out’, giving it the form of a tablet like an iPad slotted onto the dashboard. Perhaps this made installation easier and users would also have appreciated the familiar tablet shape.
However, Nissan designers who work on next-generation vehicles consider other aspects as they attempt to balance design, technology and utility. For the Ariya Concept, they chose a different path when developing the display.
This prioritized design and vision over the latest trends. Instead of a tablet, the all-electric crossover has a curved, two-screen display reminiscent of a wave. It adds to the sense of a ‘horizon’ throughout the car, from elements in the door all the way to the rear of the cabin.
The layout reflects Nissan’s new ‘Timeless Japanese Futurism’ design language, also expressed in the Ariya Concept’s unique frontal ‘shield’. But the horizontal design wasn’t chosen for its good looks alone. In addition to conveying information better for the human eye, the layout does so from a safer location — in the line of sight, closer to the road.
By matching the cabin’s horizon aesthetic, it becomes a seamless part of the dashboard. Nissan’s design team calls this engawa – the undefined space between where you are, and where you are going.
“The human eye naturally looks from side to side when driving,” explained Tomomichi Uekuri, Senior Manager of the engineering team involved in HMI (Human-Machine Interface). “People can see and absorb more information if it’s laid out horizontally. Peripheral vision works this way as well.”
The Ariya Concept’s display keeps driving information in an instrument cluster location similar to that of a traditional car, while displaying entertainment information, comfort controls and system status in the centre screen. Both are wrapped together in a sleek panel that flows seamlessly between driver and passenger.
Even though there are two screens, information can move or be swiped between them to create the feeling of a single display. For example, if you want your route directions and map in front of the steering wheel, they can appear there. They can also move to the centre, or disappear when no longer needed.
“The display’s wave construction is innovative and utilizes an ergonomic layout for both the meter display and the centre display, not only for visibility, but also allows the driver to easily reach the touch screen,” Uekuri said.
It took the design team many tries to arrive at the innovative display. The team built similar displays into a large black ‘box’ that they affectionately named ‘the Monolith’, a nod to the movie ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. They chipped away, figuratively speaking, at the housing until it became what’s seen in the final concept car.
As a result, the sleek, seamless display looks like a natural, integrated part of the interior design – not a slab out of time and place.
Passengers in a Mercedes-Benz now have access to four new entertainment options via the MBUX (Mercedes-Benz User Experience) multimedia system. The system has also been made more ‘casual’ and as one of these options will switch to using the familiar form of ‘you’ in many languages. This aims to create a closer, personal bond as the new form of interaction between driver and vehicle.
Reinforcing emotional tie
From April this year, the new form of address will gradually be introduced in new vehicles delivered in Germany, the Netherlands, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Poland, Taiwan and Hong Kong. In these countries, MBUX will address the customer in the familiar form of the language rather than the more formal one. It is hoped that this will help reinforce the emotional tie between the driver and their Mercedes-Benz.
The infotainment system makes it possible to have a detailed weather report for specific regions read out – in virtually any language. In addition, with immediate effect, a driver wanting to know his or her fortune can ask something like ‘Hey Mercedes, give me a horoscope for Aquarius!’.
MBUX will then look into the ‘stars’ for the driver, provided the birth or star sign of the driver is given beforehand. The system will then offer a personal horoscope (only available in German and British English for now) via speech dialogue.
Quiz, anyone?
As well as offering such astrological services, MBUX can also act as quizmaster to entertain passengers with a fascinating geo-quiz about capital cities of the world. It all helps to make the journey in a Mercedes-Benz even more enjoyable. Great for parents with little ones who get restless behind.
These services complement the already comprehensive range of entertainment and assistance functions available from MBUX at all times. The further strengths of MBUX, in addition to the user-friendly voice assistant with natural speech recognition, which is activated with the keyword ‘Hey Mercedes’, include intuitive touchscreen control of the media display.
There is also a navigation display that uses augmented reality technology during active navigation: a video image of the vehicle’s surroundings is enhanced with useful navigation information.
The intelligent assistant that also learns
MBUX was introduced to the world in 2018 with the new Mercedes A-Class being the first model to have it. It was then progressively offered in other models as new generations arrived. The aim is to enhance the user-experience and make the system more helpful with an intelligent assistant that can respond to voice commands – and act on them.
A unique feature of this system is its ability to learn, thanks to artificial intelligence. MBUX can be individualised and adapts to suit the user. It thus creates an emotional connection between the vehicle, driver and passengers. At the same time, updates ‘over the air’ are possible and it also heralds a new era at Mercedes me Connectivity.
