Maruti Suzuki is all set to launch its new hatchback Baleno. Apart from the Maruti goodness that’s expected with each model they launch, this cool looking car is also the first in India to feature Apple’s CarPlay.
What is Apple CarPlay?
Many people aren’t familiar with Apple’s CarPlay because it’s not (yet) widely adopted by car manufacturers and hasn’t been much in news either. The simplest way to understand CarPlay is to compare it with the in-dash media unit that comes preinstalled in your car. Only, in this case, the unit features Apple’s iOS-like software that connects with your iPhone to instinctively control music, maps, read messages, make calls using Siri etc. It’s basically an extension of your iPhone in your car’s media centre.
Maruti’s Move
In all honesty, it’s somewhat surprising to see Maruti take the lead in brining CarPlay to India. The international adoption of CarPlay has been very slow and, in most cases, only the premium models have chosen to include Apple’s software.
We expected something similar here, with high end cars starting the trend in India. But Maruti has proved us wrong.
The new Baleno is pitted against Hyundai i20, Honda Jazz and Volkswagen Polo. There is cut throat competition in this segment and any flagship feature can tip the scales.
Will Apple CarPlay prove to be that ace for Maruti? We aren’t all that optimistic. But hey, given Maruti’s track record, we might have to eat our own words, again!
