SEAT Rolls Out Amazon Alexa In Europe’s Biggest Car Markets

Seat has announced the launch of Amazon Alexa across Europe’s biggest car markets.

The Spanish company claims it’s the first automotive brand in Europe to roll out Amazon’s cloud-based voice service in its vehicles. The automaker launched today the service in Spain and Italy, with France to follow on November 12. These three markets follow Amazon Alexa’s launch in Germany and the United Kingdom earlier this year.

According to Seat, bringing Amazon Alexa into the car allows customers to “optimize their time behind the wheel.” Using the Seat Media Control with Amazon Alexa app simplifies access to the car’s key functions while enhancing usability.

All users need to do is press the control button on the steering wheel and speak. Amazon Alexa can help drivers navigate to points of interest, play music, manage their personal schedule, request personalized news and find the nearest Seat dealership.

Since Amazon Alexa’s launch in 2014, the system has gained more than 50,000 skills thanks to the Alexa Skills Kit (ASK). The latter encourages developers to expand and evolve the system’s capabilities.

Amazon Alexa is available on the Seat Ibiza, Arona, Leon, Ateca and the new Tarraco SUV. To activate it, Android users must download the Seat Media Control with Amazon Alexa app from the Play Store. They must then connect it to the vehicle. After that, the voice service should be ready to use.

Besides the obvious gains in usability, Seat says Amazon Alexa contributes to a safer driving experience. That’s because drivers don’t have to take their hands off the steering wheel or their eyes off the road to access vehicle functions. See how it works in the following video.