A A few days back, I was talking to a friend’s elderly father when he suddenly asked me if I could lend him a car compact disc changer. While I’m used to weird automotive requests, this one really stumped me. I tried to explain to him that he could stream songs from his iPhone or transfer music from his extensive CD collection to a USB drive. But he said he doesn’t have the patience to do all that. A CD changer was a cool, simple piece of technology, according to him, so what if you could stream virtually any song from a smartphone? Recently, I also read about Mercedes-Benz integrating Angry Birds and TikTok into its 2024 E-Class model in the United States. It got me thinking, isn’t this all a bit too much now?
Make no mistake, I’m the opposite of a Luddite. I love technology, and for as long as I’ve reviewed cars, I’ve really spent time playing with technology, especially operating systems. When I first experienced BMW’s iDrive system on a 7 Series E68 in the mid-2000s, I was in awe. And kudos to BMW for maintaining that level of consistency with its iDrive system, which is, in my opinion, one of the best UIs out there today.
You now have fairly advanced software systems in most cars by mass-market brands, not just in luxury models, and honestly, the reason I go through the system is that it’s such an integral part of the car review. In contrast, YouTube videos that read only the dimensions. The software system, its various options, UI and other aspects are just as important for better or worse as most rides today.
And this kind of feedback on technology – even a review of the menu structure – is taken seriously. A recent example is the otherwise excellent Hyundai Tucson. To access the menus for the Advanced Driver Alert System (ADAS), you had to delve pretty deep into the system. A recent over-the-air software update enabled drivers to access the ADAS menu with a single click using a central console button. And believe me, if you are driving on really congested roads, turning off the forward collision avoidance system or upgrading it to warning really helps.
deep tech-auto integration
Did you see that phrase in the last paragraph? I ‘update’ a car with software ‘over-the-air’, just like I update a smartphone. These updates can also dramatically change the car from a performance perspective. as i wrote in columnIt is a matter of great pride that today a lot of software code is written for cars in India. But as cars become increasingly computerized, car manufacturers are facing an existential challenge. For example, I prefer to use Apple CarPlay and Google Maps rather than the car’s in-built software. While manufacturers such as Skoda Volkswagen have added their own music apps to their systems, the cars are also compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Tech companies want deeper integration with cars. Maybe I can ask Siri to adjust the features on my car in the future. Some cars also have the option of adding Amazon’s Alexa and voice recognition as a layer.
Long story short, cars are becoming increasingly technology-driven. While car reviews aren’t like smartphone reviews talking about megapixels and processor speed, I have a feeling some of those things are coming through. That said, India is an extremely tech-savvy country where mobile data is among the cheapest in the world. And we want more. Think about it, for all intents and purposes YouTube is the largest broadcaster in India today. Still, like many parts of the world, older generations of the wealthy — whose kids want wireless smartphone connectivity — complain about modern cars and also dislike push-button starts, which have replaced key barrels. Incidentally, push buttons were introduced because key barrels are usually made of hardened steel, and in case of a frontal impact, they could break the driver’s knees. Contrary to what the car companies tell you, safety, not convenience, was the idea behind it.
Read also: India is inching closer to its ethanol blending target. But the ‘green switch’ is…
a fundamental change
The existence of an older and slightly out-of-touch generation is par for the course in human society. That said, perhaps modern cars are actually alienating older people — maybe even middle-aged people — with their in-depth technology. It’s not about prioritizing CD changers over streaming music via smartphone. Again, the optical (CD/DVD) drive has been discontinued in most computers today. The point is that the driving experience is changing fundamentally – there are certain things you can’t do on cars anymore. A handbrake turn, for example. This is something you can’t do with electronic handbrake, which is being adopted in smaller cars as well.
Technology is developing at a ferocious rate, and it is changing every aspect of life including the driving experience. I’m sure if and when I’m 75, I’ll be complaining to my friends’ kids about driving cars and reminding them of the ‘good old days’. Either that or I can remain a tech nerd and talk about how ‘mobility’ is changing the world instead of driving. Technology may be a force for the overall good, but it is taking away some of the human experience. Including the things I do for a living.
And, by the way, if any of you know where I can find a car cd changer in Delhi-NCR, please @me on social media.
@kushanmitra is an automotive journalist based in New Delhi. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Hamra Like)