Honda has announced plans to expand its collaboration with Google and will introduce a new vehicle with the tech company’s in-vehicle connected services in 2022.
“It is our great pleasure to be able to offer new value for mobility and people’s daily lives all around the world by combining Honda’s strengths in advanced technologies in automobile development and Google’s strengths in innovative information technologies,” said Satoshi Takami, head of Mobility as a Service operations at Honda.
Honda is looking to make its UX easier to use by introducing Google‘s voice assistant, navigation, and in-vehicle apps to its infotainment system.
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Google Assistant will be installed in the vehicle from the factory, allowing occupants to complete tasks via voice controls. That will mean drivers can get directions, control media, and complete smartphone actions without taking their eyes off the road.
Google Maps will also be available natively through the vehicle’s infotainment system. Not only will that mean a solid map app, it will also be designed to work seamlessly with Google Assistant.
The Google Play marketplace, meanwhile, will give owners access to a suite of in-car apps that allow them to listen to music, play podcasts, and more without ever having to consider using their smartphone in the car.
Honda says it will start by rolling these services out in the all-new model that is coming in North America in the second half of 2022 and will expand the services globally in stages from there.
“Honda will continue to take on challenges to create new value while rapidly addressing the transformation of mobility without being bound by the conventional wisdom of the automobile industry,” says Takami.
