PressClub Global · Article.
A friend with many benefits: the MINI Connected XL Journey Mate.
Wed Apr 23 00:00:00 CEST 2014 Press Release
Clever app for clever journey planning. Innovative combination of navigation, communication and infotainment that simplifies travel planning and provides drivers with a range of useful information while on the road. Available for the new MINI from April 2014.
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Matthias Bode
BMW Group
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Author.
Matthias Bode
BMW Group
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Munich. The new MINI comfortably accommodates four
passengers, however now there is room for a fifth up front - the MINI
Connected XL Journey Mate. This clever new app not only helps the
driver with navigation but also supplies individually tailored
information on the road, adapted to suit the current driving
situation, making every MINI trip even safer, more comfortable and
more exciting than ever before. The system knows the driver's
preferred route, reminds him when it is time to refuel, messages him
about impending appointments or planned telephone calls, reports
traffic information in real time, assists in locating parking spaces,
and directs the driver on foot to his final destination. The MINI
Connected XL Journey Mate is available for the new MINI from April
2014. To use the system, the vehicle must be equipped with the Wired
package, which includes the Professional Navigation System.
The diverse functions of this innovative travel companion have
been merged into an app, which evaluates data from various sources and
uses this to generate a range of useful information for the driver.
Full use is made of the unique possibilities afforded by the
intelligent networking between driver, vehicle and the environment
resulting from incorporating the Apple iPhone in the operating system
of the MINI. For MINI Fans who spend a lot of time in their cars, the
MINI Connected XL Journey Mate quickly becomes a trusted companion,
and one that quickly shows its usefulness not only in the vehicle but
also on the smartphone.
Apple iPhone users can plan a trip on their mobile phone, taking
into account calendar entries and any appointments they have at their
destination. As soon as the smartphone is connected to the MINI at the
beginning of the journey, the MINI Connected XL Journey Mate
calculates whether there is enough fuel for the trip and highlights
service stations en route, it indicates the expected time of arrival
and gives weather information for the final destination. All this and
Real Time Traffic Information is displayed on the MINI's 8.8-inch
on-board monitor. The system is navigable via the new MINI Touch
Controller and multifunctional steering wheel buttons and is intuitive
and simple to use.
In the course of the journey, the MINI Connected XL Journey Mate
guides the driver when required to a petrol station that can be
reached without any major diversion, assists in selecting intermediate
stopping points, and suggests possibilities for parking in the
vicinity of the destination. In addition, the virtual travel companion
can remind the driver of particular activities by emitting audible or
visual signals. Upon request, the MINI Connected XL Journey Mate can
also remind him of calendar entries from his iPhone. Self-composed
memos can be stored and then called up at the appropriate moments. The
app also includes a useful pedestrian navigation service that runs on
the smartphone, designed to show the way from the parking space to the
destination and back to the car.
Completed trips can be stored, and then later amended. The MINI
Connected XL Journey Mate will reliably update the trip with any new information.