Volkswagen Springfield Official Blog
VW e-Golf Touch gets impressive technology and features
By Product Expert | Posted in VW e-Golf, VW Features & Technology, VW News on Monday, January 25th, 2016 at 10:32 pm
Why should I buy the VW e-Golf Touch?
There will always be those who embrace technology and those who are resist new things. Why can’t we have manual windows and locks and go back to a basic radio? Sometimes the reason for new technology centers on security reasons, and sometimes it’s consumer demand. As journalists jump on the topic of CES 2016, some consumers are asking, why should I buy the VW e-Golf Touch? We mean, of course, when the technology comes out. Gesture control technology may sound complicated in such a tight space, but as we’re seeing it’s just a slice of what’s happening with the new infotainment system.
Gesture control technology becomes practical in the e-Golf Touch
The first thing we all want to know when we hear we’ll be waving our hands around is whether the technology will create a frustrating experience as we talk to passengers while we drive. Some of us talk with our hands while switching radio stations or telling a particularly gripping story, and we don’t want our infotainment system responding to this. Fortunately, proximity features are already present in many of the current MIB II head units, and this is incorporated in the e-Golf Touch’s infotainment system as well. The gesture controls also seem to be kept to a minimum. From what we can see, mostly swiping through photos or switching to the next song on a playlist.
Seen this way, gesture control makes a sort of sense. You don’t need to push in a hard button or swipe the length of a screen, which is easier. Picking from menus still appears to work through touch sensitive controls, and voice commands are now activated by saying, “Hello Volkswagen.” There’s even a pop-up to give some of the most common voice features. Altogether, the three different controls seem to mesh together well, rather than coming across as gimmicky as it might sound.
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Other new features in the e-Golf Touch Concept
Gesture control is by and large the biggest talking point about the e-Golf Touch, but there’s actually quite a lot going on. Voice amplification is a new feature which uses the built-in hands-free mic to allow drivers to be heard by people in the rear without shouting over their shoulders, which we think is something any parent will enjoy.
Personalization 2.0 is another new feature which lets you upload your infotainment settings to a Car-Net cloud so you can load your Car-Net ID in any infotainment system in new Volkswagen models. This may not be useful for everyone, but those who share a VW or rent cars frequently might enjoy this feature.
In a wireless world, being stuck plugging your mobile device in can be seen as a pain. The e-Golf Touch has a USB Type C cable for faster data transfer and charging, but going wireless will be an option too as App-Connect features will no longer require you to plug your phone in and inductive charging stations will be located under the infotainment system and in the rear armrests.
As you can see, there are a host of new tech advancements present in the e-Golf Touch, many of which we expect to see soon in VW models. We’re not sure we’re ready for the announcement that the next generation of cars may Tweet for us, but maybe there are some social savvy drivers who love the concept? Let us know what you think and if you’re excited for these changes by leaving a comment below, and be sure to keep following us here at the Volkswagen of Springfield blog for more posts like this one.
