[Aditya]

Of late, car manufacturers have started offering connected car apps and features in their cars. From new entrants like Kia and MG to old players like Hyundai, Mahindra and Tata, all provide smartphone apps through which you can connect your smartphone to the car’s infotainment head-unit.

These apps provide a lot of information about your car on your smartphone. They enable you to control many features of the vehicle through your phone or smartwatch.

Here’s a look at some of the apps and features available on some cars in India.

Hyundai – Blue Link

Blue Link features can be accessed by pressing the buttons on the car's IRVM. Among other things, you can access the "push map by call center" feature in which the Hyundai call center will ask you for your destination, then set a map on the head-unit. If your car suffers a breakdown, the Blue Link connect center will get in touch with you and dispatch assistance to help you out. Emergency assistance has been provided as well:


You can use the app to track your vehicle in real time, share your vehicle's location with your friends through Facebook Messenger / WhatsApp, remotely start or stop the car's engine and the climate control system, lock or unlock the vehicle, flash the headlamps and have the horn blow for 30 seconds (to locate the car), view the status of the doors, lights etc., locate the car on maps, share 7 partial Blue Link services with 5 people, get a vehicle health report, view trip logs and set destinations for various dates. One can track the car when given to a valet through the "Valet Alert" feature, set boundaries through the Geo Fence Alert feature, set a speed alert, a time fence alert and an idle alert (e.g. if your chauffeur is idling it for too long). A maintenance alert and monthly health report are also provided. An alert is flashed on your smartphone if someone attempts to steal the car. If the car is stolen, you can track it, or have it immobilised through Blue Link. The "auto crash notification" works when the vehicles airbags are deployed after a crash. An automatic call is made to the connect center, which then sends emergency services to assist you.

A remote engine start feature is available. The car can be remotely started ONLY if the doors, bonnet and boot are properly locked and the gear shifter is in the "P" position:


Blue Link can be used to set a destination to the car's navigation system and can share it by sending a link through SMS:


A check of the vehicle's health can be carried out. If any issues are found, they will be displayed on the screen:

Kia – UVO

The Kia UVO Lite Remote App connect can be used to make a smartphone function as a remote control for the infotainment system. You can select the music source, adjust the volume, equalizer & more:


Full connection and control guides have been provided. Switch the audio system on or off and mute/unmute the system with this app. Pretty much all the controls are here:


UVO telematics comes with features for safety & security, remote operations, convenience and vehicle management:


Like in Hyundai's Blue Link, Kia's UVO system can be accessed by pressing the buttons on the IRVM of the car. You will be connected to a dedicated 24x7 call center which can assist you on the destination route, dispatch assistance in the event of a breakdown, or emergency services if needed:


You can use the app to work with the navigation system. One can set destinations with schedules in advance, send a destination route to the car's navigation system, track the vehicle in real-time and share its location with friends.

Coming to safety and security, an "auto collision notification" feature is activated when the vehicle's airbags are deployed. An automatic call is made to the connect center, which then sends emergency services (police & ambulance) to assist you. A notification is sent to your pre-saved emergency contacts.

An alert is flashed on your smartphone if someone attempts to steal the car. If the car is stolen, you can track it, or have it immobilised. You can set boundaries through the Geo Fence Alert feature, set a speed alert, a time fence alert and an idle alert (e.g. if your chauffeur is idling it for too long).

Convenience features include remotely monitoring the air quality index inside the car, getting trip details and driving summary for each trip taken. Additionally, one can get a vehicle health report, receive diagnostic alerts and maintenance alerts.

You can remotely start or stop the car's engine, the climate control system and air purifier, lock or unlock the vehicle, flash the headlamps and have the horn blow for 30 seconds (to locate the car). Owners can view the status of the engine, climate control system, doors, fuel level and tyre pressures.

The car can be remotely started as well:


You will get a push notification on your smartphone when any action is carried out. UVO comes with smartwatch connectivity & voice commands as well. You can say "Hello Kia" and ask for the driver's window to be opened or closed, navigate, set the air-con, defog the windscreen and get weather updates or the score of a cricket match:

Mahindra – Blue Sense

Through the app, you can control the audio system and climate control. The app also gives you lots of info including status of the auto lights & wipers, parking lights, an e-manual and owner's manual etc. "Cluster info" tells you what all the warning lights in the instrument cluster stand for:


You can use the app to locate your car and find fuel stations near you (both through Google Maps), share your location, set your favourite places and make emergency calls (red SOS icon on the top right):


Set reminders, view fuel statistics, store documents and view the TPMS. It also tells you if your car requires a service:


Driving statistics provided by Ecosense can be viewed here:


The app has smartwatch compatibility. If you have a smartwatch paired with your smartphone, you can view and operate the infotainment system etc:

MG – i-Smart

The MG i-Smart system gets features like remote air-con on/off, remote sunroof control, remote door lock/unlock, remote light flashing and honking, "find my car" and stolen vehicle tracking assistance.

One of the features is the E-Call. In case the car's airbags are deployed, a text message with the location of the car is sent to the MG call center. A call is then made to the head-unit automatically. In case of no response, the owners registered phone is called, followed by a call to the listed emergency contact. If there is no response or there is a need for assistance, emergency services are sent to help you out:


The find-my-car feature allows the owner to see the live location of his Hector:


A geo-fence can also be applied. In case the car leaves the perimeter, the owner will get an alert:


Smart drive information will give a report on driver analytics including harsh braking, engine idling (engine kept on but not moving), drive time (total time taken for the trip) and the routes taken:


Dashboard of the My MG smartphone app. Dealership and service center locations are also loaded in the app. Owners can also use the chat feature to get their queries answered. In the event of a breakdown, the call center will dispatch roadside assistance to help you out:

Tata – ConnectNext

The ICE can be synced with Tata's ConnectNext app. The app displays the meter readings & DTE. Some chauffeur-driven owners might use this:


The DriveNext App shows you the trip summary & history, fuel efficiency, average speed & more:


ConnectNext includes a remote control for the audio system and climate control:


While many of us feel good about having these feature in our cars, there are some who might not use them for various reasons. Do you use any of these apps and features? If yes, for what and how often?

[Aditya]

Thread moved out from the Assembly Line!

[MSC]

I have a Hyundai Venue SX-OPTIONAL 1.5 CRDi which being a manual doesn't has capability of remote engine start stop or switching on climate control remotely.

Functions which I use

1. Geo fencing
The car is parked outside my home. Whenever I shut down the car for day in evening, I always switch on the geo fencing. Also, it's helpful whenever I park it at any unknown or irregular place.

2. Remote unlocking car
There have been instances where in sometimes some stuff is left in car and I have to send someone to pick it up. There is no need to handover the keys. Just ask him to go to car and ring me when he reaches car. Again boasting.

3.Car tracking
Whenever the car is parked in a big parking lot, it's easy to locate the car. You can use in app car locator or even have the option to make the car sound it's horn.

4.Car health status
Bluelink in the BS-6 versions gives the information about tire pressure and other mechanical bits.

5.Other bits.
The My trips options is helpful in telling the overall running of the car and other little bit here and there.

Overall I am using it but I don't think diesel and manual variant owners will renew the membership if it's priced exorbitantly. Already the features for diesel and manual variants are curtailed.

[TrackDay]

I have a question in relation to this connected car tech. As most of the new cars have touchscreens integrated with the whole gizmos and features, will it be an issue replacing the head unit later on ?

For example I like the all the new Honda city. The only downside is that dull touchscreen and reverse cam. Since everything is connected via the app and whatnot (which folks like me will not use) will it affect the electronics getting the touchscreen replaced ? Perhaps an upgrade to a better system and cam. My concern is not the warranty, rather whether the whole swap is feasible without the electronics and connected car tech going haywire. Also note that I don't mind losing out the connected car tech in the process.

(Kindly note that this is the discussion I saw related to connected car tech. If the post is irrelevant / discussed on other forums kindly delete / move as necessary)

[GTO]

Voted for no. I drive several cars every year with these features, but I frankly find them useless to operate on a day-to-day basis.

Sure, a few of them will definitely come in handy in an emergency situation (e.g. breakdown or theft), but those incidents are few & far between with modern cars. I find 99% of the features on offer to be totally gimmicky that have more marketing value than everyday value.

Of course, that could change if someone comes up with a really compelling feature. Main reasons that car manufacturers are really investing in this is:

- Marketing the car and to give it a cool "connected" image

- They are very hopeful of one day charging us a recurring fee every month for these services

[landcruiser123]

I think these are gimmicky, unless you’re looking for some telematics to do some tracking of your teenager/driver.

When available, I prefer Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Else, I just use Bluetooth audio.

[navin]

Maybe it is a generational thing. I can barely use a smartphone properly.

I don't think I will ever connect my phone to my car and do all this fancy stuff.

[Nav-i-gator]

Well, for a day to day use, I think Android auto/Apple car play is good enough. Rest all is just a party trick; show-off your friends and some jealous neighbors/relatives, or simply to convince yourself that the exorbitant amount you paid to get the car is worthwhile.

Maybe emergency calls, geo-fencing can become useful in one-off case you really need it (in that sense, it is as good as any active safety features). I will give a pass to everything else.

[Vijin]

I do keep my phone connected to Android auto almost always and use Maps/BT connectivity for music and calls occasionally. However, I have found all Mahindra blue sense features useless for my running.
Hence voted - use on rare occasions.

[AmitRavi07]

Voted no. Tata has around half a dozen apps for different purposes. ConnectNext works fine when it connects, which is 2 times out of 10, maybe. It does not provide any compelling feature for me to use and is rather clumsy. Unless, Tata decides to revamp the whole app, I dont see myself using it in the future.

[Sreesh1009]

I don't own a car that had these features but I don't think I will use them, since they're controlled by an app on your phone. Losing your phone = losing control over your car. I would however use it if they were built into the Keyfob like the BMWs.

[ObsessedByFIAT]

I love the bluetooth feature through which you can play songs and can decide if you want to answer the phone without getting distracted too much.

Other than that, the only other thing I will probably use is the navigation, be it through android auto/carplay or the inbuilt one. Rest, I find all the features are pretty much useless and a hassle if something goes wrong.

Even in a car as basic as the Nano, I very recently found that if you are speaking on the phone through the bluetooth and turn the ignition off, the music system stays on till you disconnect the call. So it's safe for me to assume that I will probably never be able to explore / use all those gimmicky features in duration that I retain the car.

[kits]

I use the app to check if I have locked the car. Sometimes I can't recollect and the app really helps. I have used car tracking in huge car parks couple of times when I couldn't remember where I parked. And finally, I use it to track my car when I give it for service and check if it is in the body shop, parked outside, or being driven.

[Napalm]

I think the poll should have another option:
“I only use CarPlay/Android-Auto and no other connected Apps most of the time”

Frankly, I use only BT OR CarPlay and the corresponding native(Infotainment’s) OR smartphone(Siri/google-assistant) Voice-Recognition and no other thing.

[iamitp]

Speaking for Hyundai Bluelink, I am a fan of car telematics. I like being able to pre-condition the car, which is a boon in heavily polluted Delhi with extreme temperature swings. Being able to check the location as well the current status of the doors, fuel tank and tyre pressure is nice as well. I haven't used geo-fencing yet but it does sound interesting. Another feature, which I hope I never have to use, is tracking the car's location in case of theft.

However, I am not a fan of locking Bluelink's capabilities with Hyundai Maps. I want to be able to use the Bluelink button for Google Assitant when in Android Auto and get the navigation directions from Google in the car's MID.