Connecting to future

Hyundai’s new compact SUV, the Venue, is India’s first connected car. Launched on May 21, it offers plenty of connectivity features like remotely starting or stopping engine, remotely operating climate control and geo-fencing. The carmaker has tied up with Vodafone-Idea for eSIMs that will connect the vehicle to the network.

General Motors was the first to make a connected car—the Cadillac DeVille in 1996. But the purpose was mostly limited to safety; it would automatically get emergency help in case of an accident. Soon features like remote diagnostics and navigation were introduced. In 2014, Audi started offering 4G hotspots in cars.

Most cars today have embedded navigation systems and smartphone integration. Both Google and Apple, who make operating systems that together run almost all smartphones, have automotive platforms—Android Auto and CarPlay. The rise of smartphones and apps has been a boon for connected cars, as these phones can easily interact with cars.

The Venue will be followed by MG Hector, the Chinese-owned British carmaker’s first vehicle in India. It comes embedded with an Airtel 4G SIM, which can be upgraded to 5G when the tech is available in India. The car, which will be always connected to MG’s servers, offers some 50 connected features.

While connected vehicles seem like a natural progression in the evolution of automobiles, there are inherent risks that come with them. Though there have not been many cases of automotive hacks, it is perfectly possible. In 2015, Wired magazine’s senior editor Andy Greenberg’s vehicle, a Jeep, was hacked by two cyber security experts. They managed to control the vehicle’s brake, accelerator and steering and paralyse it on a highway. Quite a few times carmakers have recalled vehicles with software vulnerabilities.

If it becomes a standard practice for automakers to test connected services and conduct threat assessments regularly, connected vehicles will be not only enjoyable but also safe.

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