The moment is universally disappoint-
ing. You hop into a new car, turn on the
infotainment system, and suddenly
you’re staring into the past. The anti-
quated functionality and ill-conceived
interface seem drawn from a primeval
cellphone, not a modern machine.
Cue the Cadillac ATS Coupe, the first car that will not suffer this particular malady. One of the reasons infotainment systems fail is that they’re old before they even hit the market; car develop- ment cycles last between three and five years. So the designers behind the ATS
Cue the Cadillac ATS Coupe, the first car that will not suffer this particular malady. One of the reasons infotainment systems fail is that they’re old before they even hit the market; car develop- ment cycles last between three and five years. So the designers behind the ATS
Coupe introduced 4G LTE into the cabin as a workaround.
When an electronic system is due for a change, Cadillac will
be able to push updates from the cloud to the car. That’s a lot
simpler than heading to a dealer—or getting a new car.
Computing hardware is also outdated at launch. In response, Cadillac is decoupling the car’s computer from the greater development cycle. That means the company can drop updated control units into new cars as soon as they’re available. The ATS Coupe is one of three new GM vehicles launching this fall with 4G LTE. And it will serve as a model going forward. GM plans to introduce 4G LTE into 34 cars by the end of the year and into nearly every model across all of its brands by the end of 2015. The day when you don’t have to curse your car’s laggy touchscreen is finally within view.
Computing hardware is also outdated at launch. In response, Cadillac is decoupling the car’s computer from the greater development cycle. That means the company can drop updated control units into new cars as soon as they’re available. The ATS Coupe is one of three new GM vehicles launching this fall with 4G LTE. And it will serve as a model going forward. GM plans to introduce 4G LTE into 34 cars by the end of the year and into nearly every model across all of its brands by the end of 2015. The day when you don’t have to curse your car’s laggy touchscreen is finally within view.
CAR NEWS YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT
DESIGN OF THE MONTH
Lamborghini Huracán
Lamborghinis are fast, beau- tiful, and high performance. But they’re not particularly comfortable. In the new V-10 Huracán, designers built in more headroom and easier ingress. The result is the first contemporary Lambo comfort- able enough to drive every day.
Lamborghini Huracán
Lamborghinis are fast, beau- tiful, and high performance. But they’re not particularly comfortable. In the new V-10 Huracán, designers built in more headroom and easier ingress. The result is the first contemporary Lambo comfort- able enough to drive every day.
Swedish telecom
giant Ericsson is developing a
phone app that
links public and
private transpor-
tation. As drivers
pass through
tolls, they accrue
credits for public
transportation,
which they can
use on bad traffic
or weather days.
Automotive
has the highest insider-crime rate of any industry, according to a study by PwC. Misuse of assets, procurement fraud, and bribery and corruption are the top three infractions.
has the highest insider-crime rate of any industry, according to a study by PwC. Misuse of assets, procurement fraud, and bribery and corruption are the top three infractions.
By late summer,
27 children in
the U.S. died of
heatstroke after
being trapped in hot cars. The
number is down
from 2012, when
34 children died,
and lower still
than the 16-year
average of 38.
But it’s still far
too high. Ford and Nokia
are creating an
app that defines
areas in which
cars should run
in electric mode
depending on
terrain, traffic,
and weather.
Adapting to these
green zones
would optimize
performance.
