2 March 2017

SEAT showcases connected car technologies

A predictive navigation system which predicts traffic jams before they happen is one of the connectivity features presented by SEAT cars at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, writes Brian Byrne.

The system would also suggest alternative routes based on these forecasts.

It is one of a number of systems based on the connectivity megatrend to which SEAT has pinned its future, according to its President Luca de Meo.

He told the Congress that the brand's vehicles will be equipped with many of these systems between 2018-2019.

A simulator at the MWC allows visitors to link their mobile phones to the systems and undertake a simulated drive 'through the future'.

Luca de Meo noted that the average driver spends two and a half years of his or her life at the wheel, and that traffic snarlups in rush hour can increase driving times by 50pc.

The systems that the company is working on will cross-reference traffic data in real-time with factors such as school opening and closing times, forecasted traffic when major events are held or weather conditions.

SEAT will also open a 'Metrolois: Lab Barcelona' in the city later in the year, where experts in relevant fields will work on the connected car.

It will include a fleet of ten eMii electric cars to use in a car-sharing project.