And the title of first automaker in Europe with an Android Auto app in the Play Store goes to… not Volkswagen, but one of the automotive group’s subsidiaries. SEAT takes the honors, and DriveApp is reassuringly easy to use.
Described as a step forward for in-car connectivity, the Android-developed SEAT DriveApp is 100 percent the creation of the Spanish automaker’s Technical Center. Designed to complement the DriveApp for iOS-enabled devices, the newcomer allows the user to view and manage the content of one’s smartphone inside the car via the infotainment system.
Paired to the infotainment through FullLink technology, DriveApp also allows the user to review vehicle diagnostics remotely. Think tire pressure, remaining gas in the fuel tank, battery voltage, washer fluid level, engine and steering wheel status, the whole nine yards. Currently available in Spain, the next weeks will see DriveApp roll out to other markets of the European Union where SEAT operates, including the United Kingdom.
According to the app’s description in the Google Play Store, download size stands at just under 30 megabytes, and there are three infotainment systems compatible with it. The first of the lot is Navi System Plus, offered in the Ateca compact crossover and Leon hatchback/longroof since June 2016. In the case of Navi System and Media System Plus, these are compatible with DriveApp and the systems are present in all SEATs produced from June 2017.
You’ll find plenty damning reviews too, mostly from people who aren’t aware that the application isn’t yet fully operational in markets outside Spain. Here are two examples: “Can’t get this to work with my S7 Edge” and “Can’t receive country or languages.” Fret not, for patience is a virtue.
In SEAT-related news, the all-new Arona baby crossover will be followed by the end of the year by a three-row model. The Ateca-based seven-seat crossover doesn’t have a name yet, though. Oh, and by the way, don’t expect for the all-new Ibiza to gain a performance-oriented Cupra version.
Paired to the infotainment through FullLink technology, DriveApp also allows the user to review vehicle diagnostics remotely. Think tire pressure, remaining gas in the fuel tank, battery voltage, washer fluid level, engine and steering wheel status, the whole nine yards. Currently available in Spain, the next weeks will see DriveApp roll out to other markets of the European Union where SEAT operates, including the United Kingdom.
According to the app’s description in the Google Play Store, download size stands at just under 30 megabytes, and there are three infotainment systems compatible with it. The first of the lot is Navi System Plus, offered in the Ateca compact crossover and Leon hatchback/longroof since June 2016. In the case of Navi System and Media System Plus, these are compatible with DriveApp and the systems are present in all SEATs produced from June 2017.
You’ll find plenty damning reviews too, mostly from people who aren’t aware that the application isn’t yet fully operational in markets outside Spain. Here are two examples: “Can’t get this to work with my S7 Edge” and “Can’t receive country or languages.” Fret not, for patience is a virtue.
In SEAT-related news, the all-new Arona baby crossover will be followed by the end of the year by a three-row model. The Ateca-based seven-seat crossover doesn’t have a name yet, though. Oh, and by the way, don’t expect for the all-new Ibiza to gain a performance-oriented Cupra version.