Honda First To Offer Apple's New In Car System

While some car makers are only just starting to integrate Apple's Siri Eyes Free mode -- which enables drivers to use voice commands to access their iPhone's contacts book, make phone calls and dictate messages -- Honda is racing ahead with full iOS mirroring.

The system in question, called iOS in the Car, was only officially revealed at Apple's Developer Conference in June, but Honda is wasting no time in integrating it into its new 2014 Civic, which hits US showrooms in December. iOS in the Car turns a vehicle's integrated touchscreen display into a larger iPhone screen complete with core apps -- navigation, search, music library, contacts book and inbox, plus voice command access to Siri -- Apple's ‘smart' concierge service.

A report by ABI Research, published earlier this month, examining the future of in-car connectivity,  forecasts that by 2018, 50 percent of all new cars will offer iOS in the Car as a standard feature and that demand for the system would be driven by consumers who want greater smartphone functionality and access to apps while behind the wheel.

"It is inevitable that consumers will demand to be able to use their smartphones in cars, even in luxury cars equipped with the latest top-of-the-range fully embedded infotainment systems. However, OEMs producing lower-end mass-market cars will probably invest significantly less on developing their own systems and rely more on smartphones-centric infotainment solutions," commented Gareth Owen, principal analyst at ABI Research.

Therefore companies like BMW, Mercedes and Ferrari will be ensuring that their own systems don't clash with that of the driver's smartphone, while mass-market producers, such as GM, Toyota and Volkswagen will be able to enhance their own in-car offerings to executive-car standards simply by offering better smartphone integration -- letting customers run their device's version of Google Maps, for instance, streamed from a phone and to a dedicated dashboard fitted screen. And, of course, by creating their own smartphone apps.

"Car OEMs face the difficult challenges of not only how best to integrate smartphones into their vehicles, but also how to ensure that the integration strategy remains viable throughout the life of the vehicle and multiple generations of smartphones," explains Owen.

As for iOS in the Car, 18 car companies have announced they plan to adopt the system or are at least committed to testing its capabilities. As well as Honda, they include Audi, Ferrari, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Toyota and Volvo.

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