Europe has just hosted another of the world's major auto shows, the Frankfurt Motor Show 2015. And nestled among all that horsepower are some new cars that will offer Android Auto support.
Now the post-show dust has settled and the manufacturers have all had their say, below we're rounding up who announced what with support for our favorite in-car system.
Seat - the new Seat Connect range
Seat is another arm of the VAG (Volkswagen Audi Group) benefiting from Android Auto support. We'd seen it appearing on vehicles from stablemate Skoda, for example, back at the Geneva Motor Show in March. For Frankfurt, Seat announced that a range of its new cars will have support for Android Auto, alongside CarPlay, including the likes of the Ibiza Cupra pictured here.
"The new CONNECT range comes with a new generation of SEAT Easy Connect infotainment systems. These include high-resolution touchscreen displays and the very latest processors for much faster booting and rapid route calculation. And they offer a completely new level of connectivity – Media System Plus and the sat nav system can be connected with MirrorLink, Google Android Auto and Apple Car Play using SEAT Full Link. This forms the direct connection between the smartphone and the in-vehicle display and enables a large number of apps to be safely operated via the 6.3-inch touchscreen with the Alhambra and the 6.5-inch touchscreen with Ibiza, Leon and Toledo."
The Ibiza Cupra announcement was made separately, but future Seat buyers interested in mobile connectivity should look out for Connect versions of the new models mentioned above.
Vauxhall - British built Astra gets OnStar and Android Auto
Vauxhall (Opel in Europe), part of General Motors had a double in-car tech bombshell to drop in Frankfurt. The all-new, British built, Astra will get not only Android Auto and CarPlay support, but mobile connectivity thanks to OnStar.
"New Astra is also the first Vauxhall to feature OnStar, the ground-breaking connectivity technology now available across Europe. OnStar includes high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery alert.Astra is also one of the first vehicles from a mainstream manufacturer to get Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, available through a new version of the IntelliLink infotainment system."
Android Auto is a big deal, of course, but so is OnStar. For those who want a little more practicality, there was a Sport Tourer announced alongside the 5-door hatch. The hatch will be in showrooms from October 2015 while the Sport Tourer will hit the roads in 2016.
Hyundai bringing it to Europe
Hyundai was one of the first out of the gate when it came to built in Android Auto in the U.S. with the Sonata, and now, it's bringing it to its European lineup, too. The new i40 will be the Korean manufacturers first European car on the road with Android Auto support.
"Hyundai Motor was the first car manufacturer worldwide to introduce Android Auto technology in one of its cars. From May 2015, the Hyundai Sonata was available in the US with this intuitive smartphone mirroring software. Only a few months later, Hyundai will be one of the first manufacturers to bring this technology to the European market as Android Auto will soon be available to order on the New i40, with first deliveries expected in early January 2016."
To make the best of all that in-car Android goodness, the i40 will be blessed with a 7-inch touchscreen. Orders will be taken from November 2015 with the first deliveries taking place in January 2016.
Those are some of the latest cars set to hit European roads with Android Auto built in. We've also recently seen a U.S. announcement from Honda over using the system in the next Civic. Which is fantastic news, because what it was showing at the Geneva Motor Show was pretty horrible.
It's also increasingly clear that car makers are aware of the importance mobile devices now play in every day lives. Kia, for example, will be including a wireless charger built into its next Optima in Europe. There are examples galore of where smartphone connectivity is being included, just not necessarily with Android Auto. Audi and Jaguar Land Rover continue to do things their own way, some, like Ferrari, prefer to be Apple-exclusive, and others still think Mirrorlink is the way to go.
But there's plenty of choice out there. And choice is never a bad thing.
