Saar: The Android-based infotainment systems will be offered with various models from the trio, starting from 2021.

The Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi automotive alliance has announced that it has roped-in Google to develop the next-gen infotainment systems. The Android-based systems, which will offer various customer-focused applications, will be installed in several models from the trio, starting from 2021. What will be the x-factor of these next-gen infotainment systems? Apart from doing the usual kind of stuff, such as answering calls, voice recognition using Google Assistant and finding information online, the system will have embedded turn-by-turn navigation with Google Maps and the access to Google’s Play Store.

The idea is to have a strong backbone with important applications such as Google Maps and seamless mirroring of the Android-based mobile phones. The real kicker would be that each infotainment system will be customisable. While the alliance members will use share the Android platform, each brand will have the flexibility to tweak the infotainment experience in their own unique way.

As per the alliance’s 2022 mid-term plan, the brands want to equip more vehicles with connectivity and cloud-based services. By joining forces with Google, the alliance is targeting increased sales of more than 14 million units a year by the end of 2022. For the record, last year the trio collectively sold 10.6 million units covering 200 markets across the globe. The mid-term plan also involves launching 12 new pure electric vehicles, along with autonomous-driving technologies and the full-fledged rollout of the Alliance Intelligent Cloud (AIC).

Speaking of which, the AIC will provide the Google-developed infotainment systems with secure connectivity. This will help in facilitating over-the-air upgrades as well as remote diagnostics of the vehicles. Once completely developed, the integrated system will also be compatible with other platforms, such as Apple’s iOS.

The alliance says that the Google-powered infotainment systems coupled with the AIC will become one of the most intelligent solutions for a connected experience on the move. Not only will it ease-out the ownership experience but also help the driver and passengers to make use of Android’s flexibility and its vast range of applications. Here, get a taste: