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When Android Automotive goes in the dash, Google wins — and automakers lose data

You've gotta hand it to Google for the way the Silicon Valley tech giant has made indelible inroads into the car on multiple fronts. The most obvious is with its pioneering self-driving car technology that's caused car companies to get their act together on autonomous vehicles — and also collaborate with Google. Google has more directly extended its influence and data-mining capabilities into the car with its Android Auto smartphone-projection platform that most major automakers have adopted along with Apple's CarPlay. And now it's preparing to dig even deeper into dashboards by deploying its open-source operating system, Android Automotive, beginning with Audi and Volvo. Volvo recently announced that its next-generation Sensus infotainment system will run Android Automotive as an OS and include Google's Play Store for cloud-based content, Maps for navigation and Google Assistant for voice recognition, which can even command a car's climate control. By embedding Google in the dash, Volvo says owners will get an improved connected experience. "Bringing Google services into Volvo cars will accelerate innovation in connectivity and boost our development in applications and connected services," Volvo senior vice president of R&D Henrik Green said in a statement. "Soon, Volvo drivers will have direct access to thousands of in-car apps that make daily life easier and the connected in-car experience more enjoyable." Having Android Automotive onboard could benefit drivers — and provide a big win for Google, since it opens a deep and lucrative new data-mining vein for the company. But it's a wave of a white flag for car companies when it comes to delivering their own cloud-based content and services. It also represents a massive data giveaway and, for Audi, a reversal of earlier reservations about letting Google get too much access to car data. Not long after Android Auto and Apple CarPlay were introduced in 2014 and most automakers eagerly embraced the technologies, several German automakers second-guessed their decision when they realized what was at stake: data. At a conference in Berlin in 2015, Audi CEO Rupert Stadler said car owners "want to be in control of their data, and not subject to monitoring." A few months earlier, Stadler stated that "the data that we collect is our data and not Google's.

European jury picks finalists for 2015 Car of the Year

There are countless Car of the Year awards handed out each year, and naturally, Europe has its own way of doing things. Every year, a panel of jurists representing seven publications in seven different languages and seven different countries get together to name their joint Car of the Year. The panel released a list of 32 candidates back in July, and it has now whittled that list down to seven nominees. The list consists of the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer, the Citroen C4 Cactus (shown), the Ford Mondeo, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, the Nissan Qashqai, the Renault Twingo and the Volkswagen Passat. Of those seven, only two are available in the US – those being the Mondeo (sold Stateside as the Fusion) and the C-Class. The Passat is an entirely different model in North America, the Qashqai isn't offered here, Citroen and Renault don't even participate in our market and the BMW 2 Series is represented here only by the completely different coupe and convertible. Expect the one and only recipient of the 2015 Car of the Year award to be announced at the Geneva Motor Show this coming March, and while you're waiting, you can place your guesses for the eventual winner in Comments. Featured Gallery 2015 European Car of the Year: Nominees News Source: CaroftheYear.org BMW Ford Mercedes-Benz Nissan Volkswagen Citroen Renault car of the year nissan qashqai citroen c4 cactus bmw 2 series active tourer

Infiniti shows Q30 interior ahead of Frankfurt debut

Infiniti is supposed to debut the all-new Q30 hatchback at the 2015 Frankfurt Motor Show, but as the show is still a couple of weeks away and the company has elected to release yet another image, we aren't sure there'll be all that much to see come Sept. 15. With that in mind, then, we give you the first images of the entry-level hatch's cabin, and they're, um, wow. We knew the Q30 had a lot in common with the Mercedes-Benz A-Class but as these images show, this is far more than a common platform. The steering wheel, instrument cluster, switchgear, and shifter are direct from the Mercedes parts bin. From the looks of the images, the Q30 will even have a Mercedes-style key. This might not garner much attention in the budget ranks – take the Scion iA and Mazda2, for example – but this degree of parts sharing in the premium market is sure to raise some eyebrows. It's also a rather bewildering move for Infiniti. The company is, in effect, selling a Mercedes-Benz to any new customers it attracts. That'll certainly make a Q50 a hard sell when it comes time for an upgrade. Now, in Infiniti's defense, there are some differences in the layout here. The triple nozzle-style HVAC vents have been replaced with a more conventional pair of outlets, and the instrument cluster hood extends over the built-in navigation screen. That design decision, in particular, will certainly appeal to critics of the tacked-on-tablet look offered by Mercedes. The analog buttons for the multimedia system have also been tweaked, with the result looking far cleaner than the mess of buttons offered on Mercedes' products (we wouldn't be shocked to see this layout arrive on a facelifted A-, CLA-, or GLA-Class in the near future, though). Beyond those changes, though, there are multiple Mercedes design hallmarks here, including the location of the controls for the seat adjustments. You can check out the Q30's cabin in both right- and left-hand drive varieties courtesy of the images above. And for comparison's sake, we also included our most recent gallery of the Mercedes-Benz GLA-Class at the bottom of the page. Have a look and be sure to scroll down for the official press release. September 1, 2015 Countdown Frankfurt: First ever Infiniti Q30 active compact opens its doors before world premiere ? Q30 – The first global Infiniti compact ? Q30 interior design echoes daring expression of exterior ?