Vauxhall develops smartphone infotainment system for Adam city car

We're not entirely convinced by the name Adam for Vauxhall's forthcoming city car, but we are interested in its new infotainment system.

The problem for car manufacturers is that technology is developing so rapidly that any in-car audio system they build into the car will rapidly become outdated during its lifetime.

Vauxhall thinks it's come up with a cunning answer to the problem: the Adam will offer the option of a sub-£300 entertainment system that runs off your smartphone.

The as-yet-unnamed system uses a large, seven-inch touchscreen in the centre console, but it doesn't include any traditional infotainment features such as a sat-nav.

Instead, the driver plugs a smartphone into the unit and the operating system is mirrored on the screen. The driver can then play and control apps – such as music, video and navigation – via the screen.

The result is that the car's owner is not stuck with an outdated sat-nav, or a music or video player that plays unsupported formats, because the in-car infotainment capabilities will be updated through the phone.

Vauxhall says the top-of-the-range system will initially be compatible with Android and iOS devices. A CD/radio with USB and aux-in ports and Bluetooth will be standard on all models, regardless of whether or not the new system has been chosen.

You can read more about the Vauxhall Adam in this week's edition of our sister magazine Autocar, on sale now. Or go to the Autocar website.

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Andy Clough

Andy is Global Brand Director of What Hi-Fi? and has been a technology journalist for 30 years. During that time he has covered everything from VHS and Betamax, MiniDisc and DCC to CDi, Laserdisc and 3D TV, and any number of other formats that have come and gone. He loves nothing better than a good old format war. Andy edited several hi-fi and home cinema magazines before relaunching whathifi.com in 2008 and helping turn it into the global success it is today. When not listening to music or watching TV, he spends far too much of his time reading about cars he can't afford to buy.