In today’s age, connectivity has gained a great deal of significance. Mobile phones have steadily moved away from being just a gadget for making phone calls, to facilitating a virtual environment enabling connectivity at unparalleled levels, be it for work or leisure. Carmakers have also accounted for this and many industry leading OEMs have come up with software solutions that enhance users’ connectivity to their car and beyond. Add to that the aftermarket products, facilitating similar functions.
To evaluate these connected apps and their functionality, we reviewed the Volkswagen Connect fitted onto the Volkswagen Passat; the Honda Connect fitted on the Honda City and the Nissan Connect fitted on the Nissan Sunny. We evaluate each application for functionality, size, ease of installation, interface and usability in real-world conditions. We also got our hands on the Kent EyeCam, an aftermarket IoT device that offers advanced connectivity options and is yet to be introduced for Indian consumers.
FUNCTIONALITY
The functionality of all three OEM-developed mobile applications is quite similar. But one major difference between the connected apps offered by Nissan and Honda with the Volkswagen Connect is the method that these applications use, to connect and grant access to users. This essentially has also affected the duration that one requires to sync your mobile device with the cars. Nissan and Honda mobile applications connect directly to the cloud and retrieve display data from the company’s hosting servers, but the Volkswagen Connect is synced with a Bluetooth-enabled OBD II device mounted on the Passat’s OBD port.
The Honda Connect device is also mounted on an OBD II port but the device connects directly to the cloud, while the Nissan Connect uses a factory fitted TCU (Telematics Control Unit) in the engine bay and is connected to a secure server.
This story is from the February 2019 edition of Auto Tech Review.
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This story is from the February 2019 edition of Auto Tech Review.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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