Not to be outdone by Audi’s connected car news from yesterday, Mercedes-Benz heralded its own connected car hub, QNX. This isn’t the first time we’ve seen QNX – indeed it’s an extended version of the technology that Mercedes-Benz debuted in 2013 – but this iteration of the technology features a touch-screen interface that extends across the entire dashboard, from the steering wheel to the passenger’s side above the glove compartment. It’s a simple, visual UI that includes the instrument panel, and supports jellybean apps, most prominently the iHeartRadio app. It also supports phone and tablet Android integration, so the passenger can control the media, phone calls, and more from their mobile device.
QNX is also quite flexible with respect to navigation, and is platform-agnostic. It’s been demonstrated with Elektrobit, Kotei, Navi & Data, Aisin, AW, and Nokia FREE, as proof of the fact that it’s possible to integrate it into many different software interfaces. How many of these it’s actually integrated into, after the buzz of CES, will be worth keeping an eye on.
