Hyundai will reveal its vision of a more connected future at the 2013 Geneva show with an i30 hatch and an LG smartphone that are so intimately joined they're practically Siamese twins.
The Hyundai app allows the driver to remotely connect with the car, to check whether the windows and sunroof are open or closed, how much fuel is in the car (or just key in where you want to go and the app will tell you whether the car has enough fuel to get there!) or simply see where the car is - and if you've ever wasted half an hour walking round a shopping mall carpark looking for your car you'll appreciate that feature.
Then, when you get closer, the app will unlock the car and automatically set the electric seats, power mirrors, preferred radio station, satnav settings and even the touchscreen menu appearance to your preferences.
NO CABLES REQUIRED
Jump in, and simply drop the phone in the tray at the bottom of the centre stack. As long as it's in there, the car will charge its battery by induction, with no need to clutter the cabin with cables.
And, at the same time, either the driver or front-seat passenger will be able to access the phone from the i30's 180mm touchscreen, giving them access on the move to the phone's navigation function and internet-based apps such as e-mail, contacts and phone-call lists, as well as multimedia content such as videos.
While the potential for distracted driving is immense, Seungwook Yang, head of Hyundai Europe's technical centre, says: 'This project shows that the integration of a smartphone into a car can make each more versatile, more intuitive to use and more personalised.”