German automobile manufacturer, BMW has unveiled their latest technology called the BMW ConnectedDrive – An in-car system that provides the driver a concierge service, allowing the driver to search for information, check the weather, start a navigation and more. The company mentioned that this feature is the first of its kind and it is also the first to be implemented in Malaysia.
BMW’s ConnectedDrive system has a built-in SIM card that is provided from Germany and it runs on a roaming basis. So, it doesn’t specifically target onto any local carriers in the country. This enables the BMW Teleservices feature, allowing BMW to retrieve the car’s information and notify the driver if a servicing is required.
Interestingly, the BMW concierge works quite well when we tried it. Activating the feature places a call to the BMW Call Centre, allowing the driver to ask anything, from doing a quick Google search to looking for a restaurant. After that, the restaurant’s location can be sent to the car via message, and the driver can initiate navigation right from the message itself.
Also, if the airbags were triggered in an accident, the SIM card automatically transmits the necessary information to the BMW Call Centre to arrange for the best possible emergency response. Drivers can also manually press the SOS button located above the rear view mirror.
In addition, the BMW Online Office allows the driver to check and write emails right from the car itself. Additional apps can also be installed such as Audible, GoPro and Spotify. Not only that, the BMW Remote app also allows the driver to lock, unlock, start the car, and initiate navigation even before getting into the car.
BMW’s ConnectedDrive system can be found on all variants of the new BMW 3 series and will be available starting from the 21st of November 2015.
