The latest developments in driver assistance, connected vehicles and technology designed to change urban mobility have among the innovations being showcased at the British Motor Show in Farnborough this weekend.
The event, which ran on Friday, Saturday and Sunday (21-23 August), included manufacturers such as BYD, Hyundai, Ford, Chery, Peugeot, Citroën and LINKTOUR, with several of the vehicles on display demonstrating how technology is increasingly finding its way into production cars.
Hyundai displayed its new IONIQ 3, which is the company’s first European model to feature its Pleos Connect infotainment system, based on Android Automotive OS. The system incorporates navigation and connectivity, while the car also offers an integrated EV route planner and Plug & Charge technology. Higher-specification versions include Highway Drive Assist with hands-on detection and navigation-based smart cruise control. Another feature, Memory Reverse Assist, can memorise the previous 50 metres of driving inputs to help the driver subsequently reverse out of confined spaces.
BYD and its premium DENZA brand showed the revised all-electric SEAL, which the manufacturer says features increased Advanced Driver Assistance Systems technology. Other vehicles included the new Ti 7 SUV and DOLPHIN G DM-i, while DENZA made its debut at the show, with BYD saying its presence was aimed partly at demonstrating how electric vehicles are developing in terms of technology and everyday usability.
A new urban transport solution was showcased by LINKTOUR, which used Farnborough for the UK public premiere of its ultra-compact L6e (pictured) and L7e electric vehicles. The company says the vehicles have been developed specifically for urban use, combining compact dimensions with connected digital cockpits, smartphone integration and remote vehicle management. The vehicles use an all-aluminium platform with cell-to-body battery integration, with LINKTOUR positioning them as an alternative form of transport for city commuters.
Technology linked more directly to the road network was represented by i-media and its Pitstop driver app. i-media says its motorway media network uses ANPR technology and live audience intelligence across more than 1,000 screens covering 98% of the UK’s motorway service-area estate. For its Motor Show campaign it used data to target audiences across 110 sites and 189 screens within a 90-minute drive of Farnborough. Pitstop is an app allowing drivers to plan routes and access rewards and discounts, including offers linked to motorway service-area visits.
Together, the exhibits provide a snapshot of how technologies spanning driver assistance, navigation, connectivity, journey planning, electrification and road-user data are increasingly becoming part of everyday motoring.
(Picture – Paul Hutton/Highways News)
