British Automaker MG Motor showcased India’s first internet car technology iSMART Next Gen which will make its debut with upcoming MG Hector.
The company has developed this technology in partnership with global technology players that includes Microsoft, Adobe, Unlimit, SAP, Cisco, Gaana, TomTom and Nuance, MG Motor said in a release.
The brain of the iSMART Next Gen will be housed in a 10.4” head unit. The screen is designed with a vertical interface that allows the driver to control the entire car system with just a touch or voice command. The Head Unit is built to withstand extreme climatic conditions of India. It comes pre-loaded with entertainment content.
MG Hector iSMART Next Gen comes with an industry first embedded M2M sim that ensures that the car remains connected. The customised solution has been developed by Unlimit in partnership with Cisco and Airtel who have collaborated with their Jasper platform and telecommunication network respectively. The connected mobility solution on the MG Hector is Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPV6) ready for 5G.
This seamless connectivity enables the users to receive real-time software, entertainment content and application updates. Customers will be able to download the software updates immediately or schedule them for later, as in smartphones. This makes MG the first few among the global leaders and the first in India to bring the revolutionary Over The Air (OTA) technology to cars. The OTA feature would be standard in all MG cars enabled with iSMART Next Gen for connected mobility, starting with MG Hector SUV.
MG Hector also comes with voice assistance that works on the cloud and head unit. Developed by Nuance for MG India, it has been specifically designed for India for Indian accent learning. As a result of built-in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) algorithms, the system will learn and get better every day with usage. Activated with ‘Hello MG’, the voice assist allows over 100 commands, including opening and closing of windows and sunroof, AC control, navigation etc. and works even under poor connectivity.