New Delhi. Sales of connected cars in India are set to almost double in 2022, with one in four cars having in-built cellular connectivity and services to enhance the in-vehicle digital experience, a report revealed on Tuesday. Maruti Suzuki’s Baleno was the best-selling connected car model in 2022, while MG, Hyundai, Kia and Tata Motors led in terms of share of connected car models in their portfolio.
Launched in 2019 for less than Rs 20 lakh with over 50 features, MG’s Hector was the first non-premium model in India with embedded connectivity.
Research analyst Abheek Mukherjee said, “At present, embedded connectivity is mainly available in the top variants of a limited number of models.”
Services include connected car safety (such as diagnostic reports, crash detection, intrusion alerts and e-calls), navigation (such as live traffic, find my car, location-based search, geo-fencing and smart routing) and other advanced technologies ( such as remote vehicle control, voice commands, multimedia content streaming and live weather).
The report mentions that with the adoption of electric vehicles (EVs), proliferation of 4G and 5G networks, competition to differentiate in the premium segment, and growing consumer awareness, auto OEMs are likely to embed high-speed connectivity services and experiences in their cars. have been
Market leader Maruti Suzuki, which has a 41 per cent market share in 2022, introduced embedded connectivity in its Nexa range of models, such as the Baleno, L6, Ertiga, Brezza and Grand Vitara.
As a result, three models from Maruti Suzuki were among the top 10 best-selling connected models in India in 2022.
Other car makers offering connected features include Tata Motors, Hyundai and Kia with models like Tata Nexon EV, Hyundai Creta, Hyundai Venue, Kia Seltos and Kia Sonet.
Models from ultra-premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, Jaguar, Land Rover, Jeep and Volvo are already equipped with in-vehicle connectivity as a common feature.
“With Maruti Suzuki increasing its focus on the segment, we expect a rapid increase in the adoption of embedded telematics in new car sales,” said Soumen Mandal, senior analyst.
Another factor driving the growth is the increasing penetration of EVs.
“Telematics plays an important role in EVs, as it transmits various data related to vehicle and battery health, apart from basic services,” Mandal said.
The report estimates that three out of four cars sold in India will have some degree of in-built connectivity by the end of this decade.(IANS)
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Web Title-1 in 4 cars sold in India have embedded cellular connectivity, Baleno leads
