There’s an app for that

Park a vehicle using your finger and a smartphone app: that technology is coming to SA soon

High-end brands such as Jaguar Land Rover, BMW and Mercedesbenz have updated smartphone apps for their vehicles so drivers can check information such as fuel levels, range, tyre pressure, climate control, or even book a service.

Some also pair with a smartphone and integrate with calendar entries, allowing you to send directions from your next appointment directly to the vehicle.

And in a development that is just about hitting SA, expect to soon be able to park a car with a smartphone app.

Mercedes-benz has introduced this feature on its 2017 E-class Coupé and Sedans, and is expected to roll it out to the 2018 S-class and S-class Maybach ranges.

Remote Parking Assist requires an iphone or Android smartphone to be paired to the vehicle. Once the mode is activated, the driver steps out and uses a circular gesture with any finger on the app, continuously until the car is manoeuvred into the bay; if your finger is taken off the screen, the car will pause.

BMW has a similar feature on its 7 Series and 5 Series, using the car key instead of a smartphone. You can control the vehicle with the touchscreen Display Key but within limits — you can only manoeuvre it 10m forwards or backwards. And don’t misplace the Display Key because a replacement costs nearly as much as a smartphone.

Jaguar Land Rover offers a waterproof “activity key”, useful for swimmers who can use a wristband to lock and unlock, even when the keys have been left inside the vehicle. This feature is an optional extra, and is priced separately.

Pairing a smartphone to a vehicle has gone beyond just Bluetooth pairing. Apple’s Carplay first became available locally in 2016, and manufacturers today who support it include but are not limited to: VW, Ford, Chevrolet, Audi, Mercedes-benz, Volvo and Kia. It allows iphone users to get basic access to calls, messages, music, and navigation in an interface that is similar to IOS. While Android Auto will work on these cars too with the same functions, it is not yet available through official channels in SA.

The future of locking and unlocking a car entirely with a smartphone is almost here. Mercedes-benz says that select 2018 E-class and S-class vehicles will have NFC chips embedded on the door handle, which allows drivers to hold their handset against the handle to unlock it.

The motor industry takes roughly three to five years to develop a new vehicle, and when the car hits the market, some of the technology can feel a bit dated.

Mobile tech, on the other hand, is advancing so rapidly that consumers want to access the same information on their handset inside their vehicles.

But what else can consumers expect to see inside new vehicles?

3D laminated glass (which improves safety), haptic sensors