2013 Chevy Spark Is Packed with Cool Tech

[ne_one]

2013 Chevy Spark Is Packed with Cool Tech
Mashable
December 8, 2012
by Charlie White

The 2013 Chevy Spark is a relatively low-priced, unusual-looking car -- one that's scarcely 12 feet long and bristling with the latest technology. I tested one over the course of a week, and was especially excited to try out its smartphone integration technology.

With a car priced this low, adding an option for an on-board GPS system could add more than $1,200 to its price. So why not let users bring their own apps on their smartphones, then send the output to the Spark's generously-proportioned 7-inch screen in the center of the dashboard?

The first result of that idea is BringGo, a smartphone app that's not quite ready for release, but works well enough for us to give it a preliminary test. Chevrolet tells it's "aiming for Q1 [first quarter] 2013 availability" for the final version of the app.

So far, BringGo works well enough for me to see its value. Its pleasant navigation voice played nicely with music I had playing in the car, with the music fading to allow me to hear its next direction.

It was fast with its directional instructions, too, and responsive enough to give me ample notice when there was a turn coming up, keeping me from making any frantic last-second turns or lane changes.

I liked the way BringGo let me enter an address from anywhere. Then I could hop into the Spark and have full control of those same directions from the car's big screen. That touchscreen is not quite as responsive as an iPhone's, but the BringGo app shows up on the screen exactly as it looks on the iPhone. I could get used to this.

Full article at link.

[sfbreh]

The way it should be.

[DirtyMoney]

Nice. The developers should make should make quite a bit of coin. I wonder about the updates though.

[gdvalente]

The 2013 Chevy Spark is a relatively low-priced, unusual-looking car...
That's an understatement!

[mjd1001]

We have that new radio in our 2013 Sonic LTZ also....I'd be interested in seeing more of a full review of the nav apps features. I'm surpised it is takign so long to get out though, we heard about it and they had some early demos of it going back to Spring of 2012....it seems that to take a full year (at least) from that point to release is quite a while.

[Diggerdan11]

So Will GM add access to this app to other higher level models so we dont have to spent $1000 or more for NAV? So like with the Mylink in the new Silverado's will I be able to buy this $50 app and have NAV vs. spending $1000 for a full NAV System.

I just drove a Regal will the Intellink and I was thnking the entire time how cool it would have been if I could have hooked my phone up to it, opened an app and turned the touch screen into a nav system

[Car253]

This should be an option on other GM cars.

[ne_one]

This should be an option on other GM cars.

I agree.

Scrap the base radios - there is no comparison.

[germeezy1]

This is just the tip of the iceberg, and GM has already been working on a direct connect system that actually emulates your smart phone screen on the touch screen.

[kateean2]

The 2013 Chevy Spark is a relatively low-priced, unusual-looking car.