Cars have become more complicated than aeroplanes themselves. And nowadays, cars have become more advanced and come equipped with connected car tech. So much so, that according to a study done by Deloitte showcased that 80% of Indian car buyers go for more tech-enabled cars. Now, many Indian carmakers have also started toying with these features and almost every car launched today comes with many different connected car features. So without any further ado let’s have a look at the top 15 connected cars of India.
When did the Connected Car Tech come to India?
However, for those of us who still think that connected cars have been recently introduced, it was back in 2015 when luxury carmakers like Mercedes-Benz launched its COMAND Online System with a cloud-based app. Audi came with its myAudi Connect smart technology and BMW had its Connected Drive services.
Hyundai
South-Korean carmaker Hyundai is the pioneer of connected car technology in India. The brand first introduced its AutoLink connected technology with the launch of the Elite i20 and the previous-gen Hyundai Creta.
The Autolink offered features like remote engine start/stop, auto-lock/unlock and information regarding the period service, maintenance, roadside assistance, driving analysis, tyre pressure, battery status, fuel finder, valet alert and geo-fencing alert to name a few.
Although Hyundai has also notified that vehicles built after July 2020 will no longer be available with the Autolink, but will feature the new Bluelink technology which offers relatively more featured than the Autolink.
Tata
The Nexon twins feature iRA or Intelligent Real-Time Assist. which was introduced in the BS6 compliant 2020 facelift of the Tata Nexon sub-compact SUV. The Nexon is the first car from the homegrown brand to feature the iRA which includes the e-sim facility, find my car, service records, live vehicle diagnostics, crash notification, voice recognition in Hindi, English and Hinglish, step-by-step navigation (specially curated for Indian buyers) and Intrusion alert to name a few.
Kia
The Kia Seltos compact SUV and the Carnival MPV features the brand’s UVO connected car technology, similar to its sister brand Hyundai’s latest Bluelink technology and offers a plethora of smart features including various voice-activated features, smartwatch connectivity, in-app emergency assist, remote destination setting, live traffic updates, live tracking, find my car and remote vehicle status.
Other additional features include stolen vehicle tracking, stolen vehicle immobilization, valet alert, speed alert, monthly car health report card, roadside assistance and geofencing alert.
The same features will be carry forwarded to the brand’s third launch in the domestic market, The Kia Sonet sub-4 meter SUV.
MG
The Chinese owned British carmaker launched its iSMART connected car technology with its first product the MG Hector. MG’s iSMART car tech is a 4G based network offering all-round internet connectivity. The Chinese owned British brand is one of the first brands in India to introduce e-SIM facility. The recently updated M2M version now gets OTA – Over the Air updates and is 5G compatible.
The iSMART car tech features like remote AC on/off, find my car, remote car lock/unlock, vehicle status check, vehicle security alarm, vehicle collision alarm, speed alert, idle alert, free text search, Chit-chat, voice recognition, Smartdrive info, remote climate control and remote sunroof are among others. The same feature has been carry forwarded to the recently launched MG Hector Plus and the MG ZS EV.
Jeep
The Jeep Compass features the UConnect car tech which allows the user to control features like the remote engine on/off, find my car via Vehicle finder, remote access lights and horn, remote climate control, OTA updates.
So, these are the cars in India that come with connected car tech. Is it a good feature to seek in a car? Let us know in the comments section below.
