Infotainment
Which multimedia system is best for music, sat-nav & connectivity?
Kia Stinger 8-inch touchscreen Standard Key features: Wireless charging, nav
THE Stinger’s infotainment set-up uses an eight-inch touchscreen, and it’s the best system of the three cars here, thanks to its clear menus and responsive display.
It’s also full of useful features. There’s everything we’d expect in a modern exec saloon. Sat-nav, wireless phone charging, Android Auto and Apple Carplay are standard. There’s DAB radio, Bluetooth and a Harman Kardon stereo, too. Some connected services, such as Tomtom-powered traffic alerts, are useful as well.
The menu layout is streamlined and is mainly easy to navigate, although simple tasks such as entering a sat-nav destination take a few too many steps. We would also prefer a rotary dial as in the Alfa for use while on the move, but the screen performs strongly enough. Smartphone connectivity is impressive and works well on the display, too, and this is placed high up on the dash in your line of sight, aiding ease of use.
Jaguar XE Touch Pro Nav/meridian Sound £1,200 option Key features: Stereo upgrade, nav
ON R-sport cars you get a 10-inch infotainment screen as standard, so we’d save some cash over our test car’s upgraded system. The display has a higher resolution than the Alfa’s and is on par with the Kia’s for graphics, although it is less responsive and laggier.
This XE was also specced with Jag’s £625 dual-view touchscreen, which allows driver and passenger to view different images on the whole of the display simultaneously. The digital TV tuner makes the most of this, but at £890 it’s an expensive option.
It misses out on key features from the Kia’s system; Apple Carplay and Android Auto aren’t offered, but Jaguar’s Incontrol Apps allow owners to use app services to help improve smartphone integration.
It’s still clunkier than using the Apple or Google systems, though, and the Jag’s basic menu layout is confusing compared with the Kia’s simple set-up.
Alfa Romeo Giulia Alfa Connect Navigation Standard Key features: Sat-nav, optional Carplay
WHILE Super specification gets Alfa’s upgraded 8.8-inch infotainment system with satellite navigation, this is still one of the Giulia’s main failings compared with its competitors here.
The screen is set in the dash, but the graphics are the worst of the three cars and the menu layout can be hard to fathom; even simple tasks such as entering a postcode for the sat-nav can take too long to work out.
At least the rotary controller on the transmission tunnel is a simple method of navigating around the system. DAB radio and Bluetooth are standard, while this car also gets a seven-inch TFT digital display in between the analogue rev counter and speedo.
The Giulia loses out for connectivity as well. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are a £300 option, and Alfa doesn’t have a dedicated smartphone app of its own, so you’ll need to shell out to match rivals’ connectivity.