Sports car owners! Here’s the thing … no 3G no connected car

There might not be a Ferrari dealership in Pakistan, not even enough Ferraris for that matter but there is a market that constitutes about one percent of the population. There are petrol-heads and gear-heads in Pakistan, this is undeniable and they like fast rides, not only the Italian brands. But, what good are these cars in our beloved country.

Today, the world is moving towards cabin tech and most importantly the concept of connected cars. Automakers are investing the top dollar to bring the latest and greatest technology to their products. Silicon Valley houses labs for every carmaker in the world, be it Volkswagen, GM or even Toyota. What they do there is to bring safety to the drivers and ‘internet connectivity’.

Though in Pakistan we would mostly see Civics and Corrollas—Japanese brands are in demand—but those who spend millions of rupees on Porsches or BMWs are left with a lot to be desired. Almost every latest iteration of vehicles from these top notch makers is now thriving on the concept of connected technology, which means the car is either connected wirelessly to the internet from its own system or via smartphones.

The GPS, satellite radio, Google Maps are some of the features that these vehicles offer. Some even go the length of offering proper social networking applications like Facebook and Twitter. There are services on these platforms that promptly notify drivers of any road blockades and/or traffic jams en route.

Internet-based GPS and Google Maps offer complete and accurate directions to drivers to reach their destination with any hassle. Satellite radio stations sport a huge pool of tunes that the commuters can enjoy.

Now, here is the pun in the whole situation. There is not wireless broadband technology to smartphones, much less to cars. Until 3G technology arrives in Pakistan to various GSM carriers, those who have spent a fortune on sports cars and luxury vehicles only have dedicated GPS services to avail.

Without wireless technology, a connected car is very … unconnected car.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=24350

Posted by Usman Khalid on May 31 2012. Filed under Automobiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.