BMW has always been associated with pure driving pleasure, to quote a pay-off line in its global ad campaign that has been used in one form or another for decades. Now, says Guy Kilfoil, Group Communications Manager for BMW SA, the incredible advances in vehicle connectivity will make it possible for the driver to enjoy his or her BMW to an even more pleasurable degree.

“A good example of this is Real-Time traffic information, you can now avoid a jam-up and continue enjoying your car to its full.” Kilfoil notes that BMW was the first manufacturer to launch an in-car navigation system in the late 1990s, followed by iPhone interfacing in 2007, with the customer-assistance-orientated BMW On-Line launching a few years later in 2001, introducing various motoring-related apps.

The question may well be posed: Why is there a need for BMW ConnectedDrive, which effectively will turn your car into the ultimate mobile device, with full-time connectivity to your Smartphone, your laptop, your iPad?

“The car is used as dead-time: Especially when stuck in traffic,” says Kilfoil. “It’s a good place to check your messages, structure your diary, and stay in touch with everything and everybody that is important in your life.”

HowBMW ConnectedDrive will work

Kilfoil explains that in every BMW built from July 2014, there will be a SIM card in the car that can be activated with various apps, available through BMW. The way the programme has been structured, on the one side will be apps that can be downloaded from BMW, and on the other branch of the ConnectedDrive tree there will be the driver-assistance functions.

The basic idea is to use the iDrive system and on-board screen to replace the owner’s smartphone while the driver is in the car. However, although the hardware will be in all BMWs produced from 2014, in South Africa the apps will only be available here from July 2015, a year from now.

The services available will include Real Time traffic information, a concierge service for booking restaurant tables and theatre seats, scheduling services from the car and road-side assistance services as well.

The Standard Intelligent Emergency Call system will include precise vehicle location in the case of an accident and detect accident severity. The BMW TeleServices will monitor the entire vehicle’s service data from fluid levels to brake pads. If the need for a service is detected, the car’s relevant data will be transferred to BMW, to prepare for the service.

There will be a host of infotainment apps available with iOS and Android compatibility.

Real Time Traffic Information will give constant updates on traffic as well as the best alternative routes to avoid those traffic jams.

As far as the internet is concerned, the integrated SIM card (which remains with the vehicle and is not transferrable on sale of the vehicle), enables unlimited data transfer, with the exception of video streaming. This is ideal for cars equipped with rear seat monitors, where the internet can be accessed.

ConnectedDrive – integrated into i3 and i8

When the launch of the new electric BMW i3 and the BMW i8 takes place in 2015 here, South Africa will also be geared up to offer the full range of apps from the BMW on-line store.

On the other side of the coin, the owner’s phone can be used to stay in touch with his or her BMW. Using BMW’s Remote Services system they can lock or un-lock the car, activate the climate control and switch on the lights, all useful things to be able to do in various specific circumstances.

Accident Assistance

The accident assistance function is particularly vital especially in the case of a serious accident when the driver and other occupants are rendered incommunicative.

Should the accident be severe enough to cause an airbag be deployed, the system will transmit an automatic emergency call to the BMWcall centre including the precise location of the accident site and direction of travel.

This information can give clues to the nature and severity of the collision, while the deployment of the car’s restraint systems gives an idea of the number of people injured and allows frontal, rear, side or even multiple collisions to be identified and differentiated.

On the basis of all this accident-related data, the call centre decides which emergency services are required at the site. The data also enables the alerted rescue crews to prepare the appropriate medical care for those involved in the accident before they have even arrived at the scene.

The system also allows the driver or front passenger to trigger the emergency call manually in order to help other road users in distress by alerting the call centre. This will be a standard feature in all BMW vehicles ordered from July & August 2014 production.

Thoughts on BMW ConnectedDrive

From the writer’s personal point of view, it is with some conflict that I report on all this connectivity. I remember not so long ago when Audi was touting how the car was the one “chill” refuge still available to us 21st century. That was then they were promoting their premium quality sound systems in the A4. Now that was much more appealing to me than scheduling services and then taking all the fun out of wondering if there will be a jam up at the William Nichol off-ramp.

Check out some of the features of the BMW ConnectedDrive system in the below video.

BMW ConnectedDrive Video