HARMAN, the premium global audio and infotainment group (NYSE:HAR) said today that it has started deliveries of its latest-generation automotive infotainment system to premium automaker Audi. The new Audi MMI® Navigation plus platform is the latest in a series of solutions from HARMAN that safely and securely deliver a broad range of connected lifestyle services to the vehicle.
HARMAN designed the fully integrated infotainment unit to facilitate high-quality playback of diverse music and video files through seamless connectivity via such devices as iPod, Hard Disk Drive, smartphones, and USB devices. The Audi-specific human machine interface (HMI) ensures that each system function is accessible with minimal user distraction and maximum ease of use. The new MMI touch function gives drivers a convenient means of configuring the navigation system while keeping their attention on the road ahead. Using a separate touchpad in the center console, users can easily enter addresses, select music tracks, or initiate a telephone conversation. The MMI Touch function accommodates a wide range of text inputs, including Japanese, Chinese and Cyrillic characters.
Equally state-of-the art are the Audi online services which allows the car to retrieve up-to-date information from the internet via the optionally integrated GPRS/EDGE (UMTS) modem and on-board WLAN Hotspot. Drivers and passengers can search online using a variety of sources including Google Earth and Google Maps. Harman has also enabled the new infotainment unit to download and display emails from vehicle occupants’ portable devices and smartphones.
HARMAN’s integration expertise in best-in-class navigation also delivers rich new detail for map and travel data. 3D navigation views offer increased realism, helping drivers to safely select the appropriate route via a City Model function and Google Street View. 3-D terrain models based on Google Maps data provide additional detail such as road elevation, presenting route data to the driver in the most intuitive manner. Dynamic route guidance is also available, thanks to embedded Real Time Traffic information.
This latest release is the third infotainment project that HARMAN has delivered for Audi, with manufacturing based in Harman’s Straubing, Germany facility. The new HARMAN system will premiere aboard the 2013 Audi A3.
