In-Vehicle Intelligent Connectivity: Essential Skills for New Cars

Nowadays, new cars that lack a connected car system are likely to struggle to make it to market. A representative from an automotive manufacturer once said that previously, mobile phones were primarily used for making calls and sending texts, but now they serve as a comprehensive source of information—ranging from communication, shopping, remote control of smart appliances, social networking, searching, to helping children with their homework… they can do almost anything. Mobile phones are a reflection of cars and represent the inevitable direction for the future development of vehicles in the smart era.

Looking back three years, the promotional focus for new car launches was still on power systems, safety, and other aspects.However, today, high-tech connected car systems, voice control systems, and remote control systems have become essential skills for an increasing number of new cars.Superior technology and intelligent configurations have become the killer features that help new cars stand out in fierce competition.

This time, the two models that Fa Ge tested both focus on connected car technology.Which one is stronger?Let’s check out Fa Ge’s real-world testing.

I called it once, and it not only responded but also reacted

Baojun RS-5

Recently, I participated in a very interesting event in Kunming. Although the test drive lasted only one day, it left a deep impression on Fa Ge.

In the past, test drives mainly focused on the vehicle’s power, handling, and safety performance, but this time the theme of the test drive was the intelligent connectivity system. The test drive subject was the newly launched Baojun RS-5 in mid-April.

“New Baojun” is not just an iteration of Baojun

Before discussing the test drive experience of the new Baojun RS-5, Fa Ge feels it’s necessary to clarify what “New Baojun” is.

New Baojun is not an iteration of Baojun, nor is it just a rebranding with a diamond logo. New Baojun is a completely new brand under SAIC-GM-Wuling, which runs alongside the Baojun brand. Its target audience is the younger generation, and its three core focuses are connected technology, intelligent driving, and digital smart services. According to this plan, SAIC-GM-Wuling will prioritize applying the latest technologies to New Baojun products in the future.

Currently, the New Baojun RS-5 and two other new models to be launched in July are equipped with Bosch’s L2-level intelligent driving assistance system. Moreover, the brand has already achieved L4-level autonomous driving in specific scenarios. Not only that, New Baojun announced the official start of 5G connected car testing in July, with the first 5G connected car expected to be released soon.

From this perspective, it’s easy to understand why the focus of this test drive was on the intelligent connectivity system.

The New Baojun RS-5 is one of the few models in its class that features both L2-level autonomous driving assistance and intelligent connectivity. This time, Fa Ge wants to emphasize the intelligent connectivity system of this car because it performs exceptionally well in this area, even surpassing many joint venture brands.

Fa Ge tested the Baojun RS-5, which has a guide price of 135,800 RMB for the intelligent driving flagship version, the top configuration of this model. It is equipped with the latest Alios connectivity system, featuring in-car voice commands, mobile app remote control, and online lifetime wireless upgrades, among other 10 comprehensive connected car systems, providing an exceptional connected technology experience.

Whether there’s something to do or not, I play with it

The wake-up phrase for this car’s intelligent voice control system is “Hello, Baojun.” Since it uses the Zebra system, it will also respond to “Hello, Zebra.”

Most cars equipped with intelligent voice control systems have basic functions like dialing calls, playing music, and navigation. However, the Baojun RS-5 offers even richer features, with more humanized and flexible commands. In addition to making calls and playing the radio, it can also open the sunroof and even engage in casual conversation. Throughout the day of testing, Fa Ge repeatedly called out, “Hello, Baojun…” without getting bored.

“Hello, Baojun, close the sunroof”

“Hello, Baojun, turn on the radio.”

“Hello, Baojun, I want to listen to ‘A Friend I’ve Loved for a Long Time’.”

“Hello, Baojun, what’s the weather today?” Baojun: “Today’s weather in Kunming is cloudy, with a temperature of…”

“Hello, Baojun, I want to go to the amusement park,” Baojun: “Okay, I have navigated you to **amusement park.”

“Hello, Baojun, I’m a bit hot,” Baojun: “Okay, I’ve turned on the air conditioning for you.”

“Hello, Baojun, I want to smoke,” Baojun: “Hello, smoking mode has been activated.” As soon as the words were spoken, the sunroof slowly opened.

By saying “I’m hungry,” the vehicle will automatically search for nearby restaurants.

This intelligent voice system will also assess the driver’s commands. For example:

“Hello, Baojun, open the window.” Baojun: “It’s raining today, are you sure you want to open the window?”

“Hello, Baojun, it’s raining.” At this point, the system will automatically determine whether to close the windows and sunroof.

Interestingly, this intelligent voice system also has dual-zone directional sensing, meaning it can discern direction—whoever wakes it up first will have their commands accepted. For example, if the passenger on the right side says the wake-up phrase and then commands, “open the window,” the system will only open the window on the front right passenger side. However, if the person in the left driver seat wakes up the system first, it will not respond to commands from the right passenger or back seat.

One more thing to note is that Fa Ge has tested many brands’ intelligent voice systems, but few have high recognition rates. The Baojun RS-5’s intelligent voice system has a high recognition rate, making it very smooth to operate.

However, Fa Ge feels it’s necessary to remind the owners of this car that such an entertaining system should not be discovered by mischievous children at home, or it may get played to the point of malfunction.

What does it feel like to have 100GB of in-car data every year?

The All-New Buick Encore GX

Last month, the all-new Buick Encore GX was launched in Chengdu. Since the Buick Encore made its debut in October 2012, marking the first shot of joint brands in the small SUV market, it has been over six years since then.

In these six years, the small SUV market has expanded from just over a dozen models to now sixty to seventy. Sales have surged from 280,000 to over 2.44 million in 2017, before retracting to over 2.19 million in 2018. The small SUV market has seen fluctuations, with increasing competition.

Against the backdrop of a declining car market and increasing competition in the small SUV market, the all-new Buick Encore is making a comeback. What will it rely on this time to secure its place? Recently, Fa Ge took a day to test drive the all-new Buick Encore GX, filled with questions.

Unlike 2012, Buick did not put all its eggs in one basket this time; instead, it launched two models at the same time. One is the smaller, compact SUV Encore, priced between 120,000 and 150,000 RMB; the other is the larger, compact SUV Encore GX, which is a size up. Fa Ge tested the two-wheel drive version of the Encore GX.

The all-new Encore and Encore GX have undergone significant changes in appearance, becoming more elegant and dynamic. Sitting in the driver’s seat, everything at hand is wrapped in soft materials, providing a plush feel. The dual-pod instrument panel, borderless flat HD central touchscreen, and multifunction steering wheel exude a sense of technology and sophistication.

Upon entering the vehicle, Fa Ge was pleasantly surprised to find that the rear of the Encore GX (two-wheel drive version) features a completely flat floor, making the rear seating area feel very spacious. Coupled with a large panoramic sunroof, the entire car feels especially bright and open, providing a great view. The storage space inside the car is also quite abundant, with convenient spots for placing items.

When test driving a vehicle now, intelligent connectivity systems and driving assistance systems have become essential testing points. The all-new Buick Encore GX is no exception.

This vehicle is equipped with the newly upgraded Buick eConnect 2.0 connectivity technology, supporting OTA remote upgrades, personalized account management, dual Bluetooth device connections, Apple CarPlay, and Baidu CarLife mobile mapping functions, among other connected services. The vehicle also features remote control, allowing owners to download the iBuick or OnStar app on their mobile phones.

Once inside, the intelligent control screen will display the local weather conditions for the day. Owners can also choose their favorite music to play on the in-car app “Cool Music.” Besides Cool Music, other connected services include Koala FM radio and ZAKER news broadcasts.

Recently, Buick announced that the OnStar connected car application will now offer lifetime free data, increasing from 24GB to 100GB annually. Although there is still a limit, under normal use, the average monthly data of 8GB is quite generous for an in-car connectivity system.

The Encore GX’s intelligent driving assistance features include SBZA side blind zone detection, RCTA parking alerts, and LCA lane change assistance, all of which have a 75% coverage rate across the entire model range. Additionally, the model Fa Ge tested is equipped with CMB collision mitigation, PD pedestrian monitoring protection, and LKA lane keeping functions.

As a completely redesigned model, the power system is definitely the latest. The Encore GX is equipped with GM’s eighth-generation Ecotec 1.3T direct-injection turbocharged engine, offering two powertrain options: 1.3T+9AT+AWD for high performance and 1.3T+CVT for efficient power.