Cupra "pushing really hard" for connected services in Australia
Speaking with CarExpert, head of product for Cupra Australia – Jeff Shafer – said the lack of connected services in the brand's vehicles locally is something his team is directly looking to address soon.
'Yeah, we're definitely looking to go with a factory-backed solution – it's a really hot topic,' Mr Shafer said.
'We feed back a lot of the local market needs [to global] and what we hear from customers. It's an issue that exists at a Group level, not just a Cupra level, but we're pushing really hard. I don't have timing I can share right now, but things are moving in a positive direction.'
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The Volkswagen Group in Australia has been unable to implement a factory-backed connected services feature set, something that has also impacted the specification of its products – particularly, its range of electric vehicles (EVs) based on the dedicated MEB architecture.
While online navigation and live traffic updates are potentially features that most Australian buyers could live without, the lack of proper app functionality like most EV rivals – including to check charge status and toggle remote features like cabin pre-conditioning and the like – stands out in a market where this is becoming increasingly common.
Moreso, the MEB platform requires a connected services module for certain features which are currently left out of Australian models, like inbuilt satellite navigation and emergency call functions, which also tie to functionality in other available features like head-up displays, as well as over-the-air software updates.
In the case of the Cupra Born, it also missed out on the Group's clever Travel Assist semi-autonomous highway mode as a result too, as it offers connected functionality.
Earlier this year, Volkswagen Australia's passenger and commercial divisions rolled out a third-party solution in lieu of proprietary services, in the form of Goconnect.
Via the Goconnect phone app, owners can view their parking position, visualise the vehicle's most recent trips, interact and book appointments with their dealer, view important errors and warnings, see the high-voltage battery status, and see the driving speed.
At the launch of the ID. Buzz electric van range, Volkswagen Group Australia director of commercial vehicles, Ryan Davies, said: 'Australia is currently one of those [markets] we don't have a true picture of when the connectivity that's available in Europe will make its way into Australia'.
Audi Australia, while also under the VW Group banner locally, has long offered its own connected solutions via the Audi connect plus feature which offers a range of online features and remote functions. However, the MEB-based Q4 e-tron misses out on these features, at least initially, due to the embedded connected module in the platform.
While premium brands and Tesla have had forms of connected services and app functionality for some time, mainstream manufacturers have made strides in this space of late, as have many new Chinese challenger brands.
Ford, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda and Toyota all offer connected services and app-based remote functions, as do the likes of BYD and MG.
All offer complimentary subscriptions with purchase, though length and available functionality can vary depending on the brand and subscription type. Not all of a brand's models are always compatible, either.
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