Maruti Suzuki S-Cross, Ciaz, Baleno, Ignis, Vitara Brezza, Ertiga & Dzire get Android Auto

Maruti Suzuki has added the popular Android Auto smartphone mirroring-app to a range of its cars sold in the Indian market. All cars that are equipped with Maruti Suzuki’s SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system will now have Android Auto installed in them through an update that can be installed at any Maruti service center.

Image courtesy Team-BHP

Maruti has just rolled out this update for the SmartPlay touchscreen infotainment system. This system is available on the top-end variants of multiple Maruti cars like the S-Cross (Alpha & Zeta), Ciaz (Alpha), Baleno (Alpha), Ignis (Alpha), Vitara Brezza (Z+), Ertiga (Z+) and Dzire (Z+).

Once Android Auto is updated on the SmartPlay infotainment system, users of these cars can connect their Android-based smartphones to the infotainment system. This will allow them to use voice recognition, calling, SMS readout, music playback and navigation features of their Android smartphones through the touchscreen infotainment system of the car. This means the Android smartphone can be kept in the pocket, or even somewhere else in the car, while still accessing some key features. A similar feature – called the Apple CarPlay – is already pre-loaded into the SmartPlay infotainment system.

So, if you own one of the Maruti cars that have been listed above, you can contact your nearest Maruti service center and get this update rolled out into your car’s infotainment system. This service will be available free of cost till the 31st of March, 2018. As smartphones are now ubiquitous, almost all car makers are developing infotainment systems that can sync with either Android or iOS mobile operating systems.

In future, expect even entry-level cars to feature Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, at least on top-end variants. Car owners also need to keep in mind that some features of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto can be very distracting when used while driving. Therefore, it is advisable to use only voice commands and navigation functions of these apps while driving.