source: Audi of America
- Anticipated introduction starting this fall for most 2021 Audi vehicles
- Audi to introduce its first vehicles with SiriusXM with 360L, including customizable settings and more than 10,000 hours of new content
- myAudi app adds digital marketplace for purchase of Audi connect® plans and future offerings
Audi of America today announced a host of new Generation 3 infotainment technologies expected to arrive in most 2021 Audi vehicles this fall, offering a faster, richer and more immersive user experience compared with the previous-generation MIB 2 system.
Equipped with a new chipset that is up to 10 times faster than previous Audi hardware, MIB 3 (Modular Infotainment Toolkit) is designed to provide customers with a number of new features including SiriusXM with 360L and hybrid digital radio and Function on Demand. For Audi A4 and A5 models with MIB 3 hardware, this will allow customers to purchase in-vehicle navigation for vehicles not optioned with it from the factory.
Additionally, the new Audi connect® Generation 3 service introduces basic unlimited Wi-Fi included in Audi connect® PRIME with connectivity for up to eight devices. 2021 models expected to receive the latest MIB 3 features include: Audi A4, Audi A5, Audi A6, Audi A7, Audi A8, Audi Q3 (late arrival), Audi Q5, Audi Q7 and Audi Q8, with other models to be announced at a later date.
MIB 3 at a glance:
- Wireless provider for in-vehicle functions: Verizon
- LTE Advanced Pro modem rated for up to 1 Gbps download speed
- 11ac Wi-Fi (2.4GHz and 5GHz bands)
- HD voice communication
- New Linux-based operating system
Benefits: In MIB 3-equipped vehicles, an in-vehicle Wi-Fi hotspot is not only designed to be more powerful than in previous applications, but it also offers a new basic unlimited Wi-Fi included with Audi connect® PRIME for connectivity of up to eight devices. The entry Wi-Fi package is optimized for audio streaming and remote work applications. Meanwhile, Audi connect® PLUS customers are able to take advantage of full-speed, unlimited Wi-Fi through a 1 Gbps LTE Advanced Pro modem. New, more flexible subscription packages are also available. HD voice communication is able to understand more nuanced, conversational and natural speech.
New applications:
- SiriusXM with 360L
- Hybrid digital radio
- New myAudi app digital storefront experience with myAudi marketplace
- Function on Demand
- Navigation
- More features to be added
- Monthly map updates compared to quarterly updates with MIB 2+ (when equipped with available navigation)
- Amazon Alexa Auto available in more models
- Expanded Integrated Toll Module availability
Applications in depth:
SiriusXM with 360L
SiriusXM with 360L combines satellite and streaming content delivery into a single, cohesive in-vehicle entertainment experience, upgrading the way the subscriber interacts with the service by providing more choice in entertainment.
For the 2021 model year, most Audi models will have available or standard SiriusXM with 360L, vastly expanding the in-vehicle SiriusXM experience as well as adding more than 10,000 hours of on-demand content including exclusive interviews, live and in-studio concerts and smart “For You” content recommendations.
“For You” allows listeners to easily discover more content based on their listening habits. For college and professional sports events, SiriusXM with 360L allows the listener to easily find the game he or she may want and, in most cases, choose between home and away broadcasts. Individual vehicle profiles allow multiple drivers and passengers to customize and maintain their own vehicle favorites.
Hybrid digital radio
For terrestrial FM or HD FM radio listeners on the go, hybrid digital radio allows them to continue listening to the same channel even after driving outside of the channel’s range. Either automatically or by request, once the hybrid radio senses a weak radio signal, it will switch to the online, digital version of the same channel. Conversely, the channel will switch back from a digital to a radio signal when it senses better reception.
Upon cycling a vehicle off and on again, the digital radio station will continue to play.
myAudi app and Function on Demand
The latest version of the myAudi app offers several key improvements:
- myAudi marketplace experience with the ability to purchase in-car features and new, more flexible subscription plans
- Simplified registration and payment processes for Audi connect® PRIME and PLUS subscriptions
With Function on Demand, Audi is introducing the ability to purchase vehicle functions through the myAudi marketplace. Initially, Function on Demand will include in-car navigation (2020 and 2021 A4 and A5 Premium or Premium Plus models not factory-equipped). Additional features are expected to be announced at a later date.
Amazon Alexa Auto
Introduced in the 2019 Audi e-tron SUV and expanded to the 2020 Audi Q3, Audi Q7, Audi Q8, A6, A7 and A8, available Amazon Alexa Auto integration allows users to pair their Alexa account with their Audi vehicles to be able to get directions, check news and weather, order groceries, add items to their to-do lists and stream music and audiobooks through services like Amazon Music and Audible. Users can also access a wide variety of Alexa skills, including smart home controls, to lock doors, turn off the lights and close the garage door, as well as skills that locate, find and pay for parking. For 2021, the Audi Q5, A4 and A5 add available Alexa integration.
Integrated Toll Module
Available Integrated Toll Module (ITM), first introduced in the 2019 Audi e-tron and 2020 Audi Q7, is being added in the 2021 Audi Q5, Audi Q8, A4, A5, A6, A7 and A8. ITM provides an added layer of convenience and aesthetic enhancement.
A winner of a 2020 Automotive News PACE award for innovative new technologies, the rearview mirror-based toll payment solution developed by Gentex provides convenient access to select toll road services across the country while helping to eliminate windscreen clutter and the need to manage multiple toll accounts. Drivers are able to adjust module settings through the vehicle’s MMI – including turning the ITM on/off and changing the occupant settings for HOV/HOT lanes. Audi is the first automaker to implement this technology into production vehicles.
Model year 2021 vehicles with MIB 3 are expected to go on sale in the second half of 2020. The new features and applications complement an existing suite of technologies such as available in-vehicle 4G LTE hotspot, Traffic Light Information with Green Light Optimized Speed Advisory (GLOSA) and the touchscreen MMI user interface that has spread throughout most of the Audi lineup. More information about pricing and user licensing for specific features will be available closer to on-sale timing.
