According to a report by Gizmodo, Mercedes Benz has announced today that it plans to fully integrate the driver’s iPhone as well as its Siri assistant app into future A-Class models.
A-Class owners will first load the Drive Kit Plus app onto their iPhones. They will then be able to access content -including Facebook and Twitter -through the in-vehicle display with navigation from a controller situated in the centre armrest. Drivers will also have the ability to command the car’s built-in Garmin GPS which should come in handy when entering destination addresses. The app also includes a “Car Finder” feature for locating a misplaced vehicle, for those rare moments when you may have forgotten where you have parked your car.
The voice-activated assistant will feature the same level of functionality as on the iPhone. Drivers will be able to access the calendar, change appointments, dictate texts and emails or have them read back, change radio channels, access music stored on the phone, or place calls.
This marks the first time Apple has allowed Siri “off the leash,” so to speak to appear on a device that doesn’t end in 4S.
A-Class models that will showcase this new feature will make their debut on March 8th at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.
In January, Mercedes announced that it would be integrating Facebook‘s location services into its 2013 S-Class model. What’s next for the German auto manufacturer?
