Volkswagen offers new levels of connectivity in 2016 models

(July 30, 2015) BELMONT, Calif. — Volkswagen has announced the introduction of its all-new MIB II infotainment system, available later this year on most model year 2016 Volkswagen products. Volkswagen says the all-new infotainment system not only creates the foundation for the next generation of Volkswagen’s Car-Net connected vehicle services platform, but also offers one of the most comprehensive suites of connected vehicle services and features available in the automotive industry today.

The new technology will provide consumers access to information, right at their fingertips, available across nearly the entire Volkswagen range. The first 2016 models featuring the new infotainment system started landing in dealer showrooms this month.

Under the VW Car-Net connected vehicle services umbrella, features are divided into three key areas, each offering a unique set of customer benefits — “Security & Service” includes connected car services and advanced telematics, “Guide & Inform” enhances the navigation and advanced infotainment systems, and “App-Connect” provides seamless smartphone integration through three interfaces: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and MirrorLink.

“With the new MIB II infotainment platform, Volkswagen’s next generation of Car-Net connected services brings to market one of the most comprehensive suites of connectivity features ever available in an automobile,” said Michael Horn, president and CEO, Volkswagen of America, Inc.

“As the people’s car brand, we knew that it was important to democratize these technologies across the Volkswagen line-up, with features like App-Connect ensuring that more consumers can integrate their smart devices in a wide range of trims on virtually every model the company sells.”

Instead of trying to control all connectivity development, Volkswagen has moved away from what has become an industry norm by collaborating with technology industry leaders to identify and integrate the latest innovations into VW products.

At the heart of VW’s new connectivity offerings is the new, second-generation “modular infotainment platform” (MIB II) introduced for the first time in U.S.-market in 2016 Volkswagen models. "The new platform brings to market one of the most dynamic infotainment technologies available, offering new levels of performance, flexibility and adaptability, enabling the brand to quickly integrate new updates," Volkswagen said.

MIB II offers higher resolution, faster processing speeds, and crisp graphics that further improve on the MIB I system offered in 2015 Volkswagen Golf models. These units feature touchscreens as standard equipment on all models. On most models, the display utilizes a capacitive touch sensor (as in smartphone and tablet technology) enabling gesture controls like swiping and pinch-zooming rather than the resistive touchscreens that require pressure and have slightly longer response times. Similar to MIB I-equipped Volkswagen’s, vehicles with MIB II will feature a proximity sensor, which senses when a hand is nearby and automatically switches its display to allow easier selection of specific features.

For 2016, four head units will be available (depending on the trim level of the vehicle), all of which offer more connectivity, services, and convenience when compared to outgoing models.

Entry-level VW models will feature a Composition Color touchscreen radio with a 5.0-inch resistive 400 x 240 color display and a host of standard features including AUX-in, SD card slots, and a USB multimedia interface with Apple iPhone and iPod compatibility, reverse camera display, and Bluetooth technology.

The Composition Media unit is available on select trims across the Volkswagen line. Incorporating the features from the Composition Color unit, the Composition Media unit adds an 800x480 capacitive color touch display with proximity sensor, with either a 6.5-inch screen for the Golf family or a 6.3-inch screen for all other Volkswagen models.

Other standard features include industry-leading App-Connect smartphone integration, Bluetooth with the ability to send and receive SMS text messages with compatible phones, sync two phones simultaneously, enhanced electric vehicle functions, two SD card slots, and a JPEG viewer, SiriusXM Radio, HD Radio and support for lossless audio file format (Free Lossless Audio Codec FLAC).

Higher trim levels feature the Discover Media unit, which captures the features available in the previous two units and adds 2.5D Navigation, one-shot voice destination entry, additional electric vehicle functions, predicts possible destinations based on often used routes, and Destination Entry with Quick Search and Auto-complete, and Car-Net Guide & Inform.

For 2016, the e-Golf SEL Premium model will receive the Discover Pro unit which adds an 8.0-inch color capacitive touch display, one-shot Point-Of-Interest (POI) entry, 3D SSD navigation, Jukebox music storage with approximately 10GB of available storage, wireless connectivity, even more electric vehicle functions such as range check and range view in the map, DVD drive, and a simplified route editing features for the navigation which allows the user to drag and drop waypoints directly on the display.