Aachen, 9 July 2021. What do mid-range plug-in hybrid cars have to offer in terms of infotainment, navigation and connectivity? And, how easily can the user operate the wide range of functions? Together with the e-mobility experts from umlaut and Europe’s biggest traffic club ADAC, connect investigated these questions for its 08/2021 issue comparing the car connectivity of the mid-range cars from seven manufacturers: BMW 330e, Jaguar E-Pace P300e, KIA Sorento 1.6 T-GDI, Mercedes-Benz CLA Shooting Brake 250e, Peugeot 508 1.6 Hybrid, Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI iV and the VW Arteon 1.4 eHybrid.
Mercedes emerges as the test winner, closely followed by BMW. Both manufacturers achieve an overall rating of "good". In their benchmark test, ADAC, connect and umlaut examined the connectivity-relevant systems and the user experience of car connectivity for the second time.
"It is pleasing to see that there are visible improvements compared to last year regarding the user experience - with Mercedes and BMW at the top. All manufacturers have improved compared to 2020 even though we have raised the overall standard and expanded the test to include functions in the areas of connectivity, navigation and infotainment”, explains Hakan Ekmen, Managing Director at umlaut.
The results: Mercedes-Benz CLA and the BMW 330e receive the overall grade "good". Mercedes came out on top overall standing out with a "very good" in the subcategory User Experience. BMW convinced with the best voice control. The vehicles with the grade "satisfactory" follow: third in the test is the VW Arteon 1.4, followed by the KIA Sorento 1.6 T-GDI, the Jaguar E-Pace P300e and the Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI iV. The Peugeot 508 1.6 was well off the middle of the field, but still achieved an overall "sufficient" result. Especially in infotainment and navigation, the car could not keep up with the competition.
The analysis shows: Compared to the first big connectivity benchmark test in 2020, the participating manufacturers have significantly improved.
The conclusion of the connect editors Lennart Holtkemper and Rainer Müller: "In the test of seven mid-range plug-in hybrid models, there were no total failures - above all, this applies to the manufacturers’ smartphone apps. However, the fact that only the German premium suppliers earned the grade "good" in the final ranking is probably due to the fact that BMW and Mercedes-Benz can invest more in research and possibly have the better data. Nevertheless, there are many small bright spots with the other manufacturers: Kia and VW received a "good" result for their navigation equipment. Also, practically all test candidates are largely convincing in the user experience areas of comfort, entertainment and digital cockpit.”
And this is how it was tested: Half of the overall car connectivity score is made up of the connectivity-relevant equipment, the other half of the score of the user experience. The equipment block is subdivided into the main categories infotainment, navigation and connectivity. For the evaluation of the user experience, various application scenarios (use cases) were carried out in the vehicles. These task-related tests were evaluated in nine categories: Connectivity with the smartphone app, navigation, comfort, productivity, user-friendliness, communication, voice control, entertainment and digital cockpit. Object-related tests based on standardised questionnaires completed the test. Here, both the overall usability and the visual aesthetics of the smartphone app and the networked system in the vehicle were taken into account.
Car connectivity and the user experience linked to it have become an increasingly important sales argument, and vehicles get smarter every year. That is why ADAC, connect and umlaut will continue to investigate the developments in car connectivity. As in this year, the test procedure will be adapted to the current state of technology and changing usage habits in the future. For the next test in the next year, the cooperation partners will probably examine electric cars.
Mercedes emerges as the test winner, closely followed by BMW. Both manufacturers achieve an overall rating of "good". In their benchmark test, ADAC, connect and umlaut examined the connectivity-relevant systems and the user experience of car connectivity for the second time.
"It is pleasing to see that there are visible improvements compared to last year regarding the user experience - with Mercedes and BMW at the top. All manufacturers have improved compared to 2020 even though we have raised the overall standard and expanded the test to include functions in the areas of connectivity, navigation and infotainment”, explains Hakan Ekmen, Managing Director at umlaut.
The results: Mercedes-Benz CLA and the BMW 330e receive the overall grade "good". Mercedes came out on top overall standing out with a "very good" in the subcategory User Experience. BMW convinced with the best voice control. The vehicles with the grade "satisfactory" follow: third in the test is the VW Arteon 1.4, followed by the KIA Sorento 1.6 T-GDI, the Jaguar E-Pace P300e and the Skoda Octavia 1.4 TSI iV. The Peugeot 508 1.6 was well off the middle of the field, but still achieved an overall "sufficient" result. Especially in infotainment and navigation, the car could not keep up with the competition.
The analysis shows: Compared to the first big connectivity benchmark test in 2020, the participating manufacturers have significantly improved.
The conclusion of the connect editors Lennart Holtkemper and Rainer Müller: "In the test of seven mid-range plug-in hybrid models, there were no total failures - above all, this applies to the manufacturers’ smartphone apps. However, the fact that only the German premium suppliers earned the grade "good" in the final ranking is probably due to the fact that BMW and Mercedes-Benz can invest more in research and possibly have the better data. Nevertheless, there are many small bright spots with the other manufacturers: Kia and VW received a "good" result for their navigation equipment. Also, practically all test candidates are largely convincing in the user experience areas of comfort, entertainment and digital cockpit.”
And this is how it was tested: Half of the overall car connectivity score is made up of the connectivity-relevant equipment, the other half of the score of the user experience. The equipment block is subdivided into the main categories infotainment, navigation and connectivity. For the evaluation of the user experience, various application scenarios (use cases) were carried out in the vehicles. These task-related tests were evaluated in nine categories: Connectivity with the smartphone app, navigation, comfort, productivity, user-friendliness, communication, voice control, entertainment and digital cockpit. Object-related tests based on standardised questionnaires completed the test. Here, both the overall usability and the visual aesthetics of the smartphone app and the networked system in the vehicle were taken into account.
Car connectivity and the user experience linked to it have become an increasingly important sales argument, and vehicles get smarter every year. That is why ADAC, connect and umlaut will continue to investigate the developments in car connectivity. As in this year, the test procedure will be adapted to the current state of technology and changing usage habits in the future. For the next test in the next year, the cooperation partners will probably examine electric cars.
