UCONNECT 5 from FCA is here and builds on what was already an industry leading infotainment system.
Every single time I hop in the car for a drive with Zoë, there is a checklist of functions I have to go through to get into the “driver” mindset: I set my route on a map, start a playlist and adjust the temperature. I can’t leave my driveway without doing this, it’s just the way I feel most comfortable hitting the road. Most of these functions are done on the infotainment system of whatever vehicle I’m driving and if I’m in my personal car – a Dodge Charger – then ALL of these functions are done within the user interface, including temperature adjustment. Dodge’s infotainment system is called Ucoonnect and in my opinion, it’s one of the best infotainment system on the market today. New for 2020 Uconnect system was upgraded to a fifth version and is starting to appear in FCA vehicles where it’s blurring the lines between car radio and entertainment platform.
Here’s a Quick look at some of the new features in Uconnect 5:
- Built on an Android platform and can process information five times faster.
- 5 user profiles can be saved onto the system, include one for valets
- Tons on customization features, include widgets on the home screen.
- Alexa, wireless Apple CarPlay, and wireless Android Auto compatible.
- Dual-phone Connectivity
- Tom-Tom navigation built in
- Able to expand to whopping 12.3 inches in certain FCA vehicles
My First Impressions
If it Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It
There is a lot of impressive upgrades here but while I was sitting in on a recent presentation of all the new features the Uconnect 5 system touts, I was pleased to see that FCA built upon what had already made the system successful. The Uconnect user interface has always been super clean and extremely easy to navigate – something that thankfully still at the heart of the new Uconnect 5 system. The various portions of the interface that house important information are nicely spaced out and bold icons line the bottom of the screen for easy access to commonly used functions like temperature and navigation. Even the font has been meticulously updated to be more legible and easier to read at a glance.
Customize like a Boss
Customization is king in Uconnect5 and there is no excuse to not make this system your very own. A new card-based flow to the home screen allows up to five users to personalize their entire Uconnect experience. From quick launch buttons that connect to your favorite applications to multiple home screen pages that allow for personal configuration of widgets, Uconnect 5 really begs for for a personal touch. The ability to create multiple home screen pages was particularly cool and reminds me a lot of my ability to personalize my android phone with multiple pages of widgets. Simply swiping left and right across the Uconnect 5 screen – from any point on – will flip through these user create pages. It’s a familiar touchscreen gesture that all smartphone users should be right at home using.
Hey Car!
We all know who Siri and Alexa are. I myself have become accustomed to waking up my smart speaker with “Hey Google.” Now you can add a new assistant-like voice recognition system to your list: your car. With Uconnect 5, voice recognition was been improved and now includes a “wake up word.” Right now, the word correlates to the brand of your vehicle, so for instance I would have to say something like “Hey Dodge, change the temperature to 70 degrees.” Then – BAM – like magic the temperature would change without me having to lift a finger. I hope in a future update you can change the wake up word to something less formal, like your car’s name, for example. Because everyone names their car, right? Or is that just me?
Be A Dad Driver from your Phone
Most auto manufacturers are introducing or have already implemented smart phone apps that connect to their vehicles and FCA’s Uconnect 5 is no different. With the improved system you can start your engine and lock or unlock your car from your phone. The mobile app is updated in real time so imagine checking things like oil, fuel, and tire pressure levels right on your phone before leaving on a family trip. One feature – which I’ve seen in other infotainment system – will come in handy once Zoe starts driving: Family Drive Alerts, which delivers notifications to parents when riles like speed limits are broken. I’m totally ready to bust Zoe on speeding, although my fear is that by the time she starts driving, autonomous cars will deem manual operation “lame.”
While that subtitle might be slightly misleading, the Uconnect 5 system is indeed built on Google’s Android Automotive operating system and it shows. I’m an android user myself so it was comforting to see elements of Android functionality at play in some of the design aspects – like the multiple home screens with configurable widget spaces. On a higher level, however, there is a reason why FCA chose Android as its launching point.
“We used Android Automotive because it’s a well-developed platform and it’s flexible to create the various sizes we needed,” said Vince Galante, FCA’s Chief Designer on Uconnect 5. The note on flexibility points to the Uconnect system being available on a variety of screen sizes throughout the FCA’s various brands of automobiles, the largest size being an impressive 12.3 inches. Basically, FCA was able to create one system on one platform for a multitude of screen sizes.
What’s interesting is that Google opened up the Android Automotive API to third party app developers in 2019, so I’m curious to see which apps could possibly be implemented in the future.
Multiple Minds Band Together
I could go on and on about all the new bells and whistles in the Uconnect system but my plan is to go more in depth once I get hands on time with the new system. From a design standpoint, I can say that I’m super impressed with FCA’s approach to Uconnect 5. Simplicity was at the core of their design philosophy and that certainly shines through in the end product; after all, as drivers, our eyes should be on the road, not on our infotainment system.
What was most intriguing about the Uconnect 5 system, isn’t the system at all – it’s the people who worked in designing it. FCA says they didn’t just hire infotainment engineers to create this system but they also pulled talent from all kinds of industries. Designers with entertainment and gaming degrees, web designers and sci-fi enthusiasts where all brought in to assist in shaping Uconnect 5. This is extremely important because the lines between a traditional automotive radio system and an interactive entertainment system are virtually non-existent. Our car radios are our guides, our new personal assistants, our “second mobile device” and one of the key connections to our overall vehicle itself. So I like the idea that FCA brought lots of minds to the table because that’s what made the Uconnect system so kick-ass in the first place – its brilliance is not just in its innovation but in a familiar simplicity that anyone can appreciate.
Phillip is a filmmaker, an award-winning playwright, screenwriter and craft beer aficionado. He writes about cars, car tech, and various other cool Dad things. He lives, works and plays in Dallas, Texas.
