Infotainment and Audi connect

MMI navigation plus is also joined by the Audi connect services onboard the new Q3. They are the perfect addition to the navigation system. Data transfer is based on the LTE Advanced standard in almost all European countries via a SIM card permanently installed in car, the Audi connect SIM. These services include traffic information online, the point-of-interest search as well as information on parking spaces and filling stations, which appear directly on the navigation map – where necessary also with dynamic additional information such as prices and availability. Further connect services are online media streaming, online news and Twitter and e-mail inbox access.

For its wide-ranging Car-to-X services, the Audi Q3 uses the fleet’s swarm intelligence: Suitably equipped vehicles report moving into and out of parking spaces so that forecasts on vacant roadside parking spaces appear in many towns and cities. The cars from the swarm also warn each other of hazardous spots such as fog or black ice, and report current speed limits.

A Wi-Fi hotspot for the passengers’ mobile devices that also supports the 5 GHz band completes the Audi connect portfolio. It allows download rates of up to 300 MBit/s and upload rates of up to 50 MBit/s. As an option, the customer can add on data packages conveniently from the car.

The optional add-on package Audi connect Navigation & Infotainment plus makes the navigation system even more attractive. High-resolution satellite images from Google Earth and detailed 3D models of many major European cities enhance the map and make navigation easier. The hybrid radio is another component of the package. Depending on a station’s signal strength, it automatically switches between FM, DAB and the online stream to ensure optimum reception at all times. In conjunction with Audi connect Navigation & Infotainment plus, the natural voice control responds to inquiries not just with information stored onboard, but also with the detailed knowledge from the cloud. Online comparison improves the recognition rate and the results, which are supplemented by further information such as photos, opening hours and visitor ratings. By contrast, the advantage of onboard information is that it is available very quickly and securely – including in underground garages where there is no cell-phone network.

Closely connected: the myAudi App

Many Audi connect functions are bundled in the myAudi app, which connects the customer’s smartphone to the new Q3. This enables seamless transmission of navigation routes, for instance: As soon as the user gets into the car, route guidance is continued on the onboard monitor. When the user gets out of the Q3 at the end of the journey, the smartphone takes over again. The app also supports music streaming and transfers the smartphone calendar to the MMI. Furthermore, the user can remotely lock and unlock the car, consult the current vehicle status, pinpoint where the car is parked and operate the optional auxiliary heating using the myAudi app. These services are part of the package Audi connect safety & service including remote services, which is standard starting from the MMI radio plus. Along with the statutory eCall emergency call system, it also includes a breakdown assistance call system and Audi service request.

A new listening experience: telephony and sound system 

A range of hardware modules supplement the infotainment portfolio, including the Audi phone box. It links the owner’s smartphone to the vehicle’s antenna and charges the phone inductively. Another Audi phone box function, voice-over-LTE, helps to connect faster and makes it possible to use high-speed data transfer and high-resolution online voice telephony (HD Voice) at the same time.

To play music from an MP3 player, USB stick or smartphone via the in-car speakers, there are two USB ports in the optional Audi music interface (AMI). One of them is compatible with the new type C with fast transfer rates and symmetric connector for easy connection. In addition, two USB sockets and a 12 V socket for the rear are available. The Audi smartphone interface, which integrates the AMI, establishes contact with customers’ iOS and Android mobile phones and brings their Apple Car Play or Android Auto environment onto the MMI display. A digital radio tuner rounds off the infotainment program.

The Bang & Olufsen Premium Sound System with virtual 3D sound provides fantastically three-dimensional audio. It has 15 speakers and produces a total output of 680 watts. Four additional speakers in the dashboard, which use the reflections of the windshield, and one speaker per D pillar generate the 3D sound. A special algorithm that Audi developed in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute adds impressive width and depth to the sound – the interior of the Audi Q3 sounds larger. 

*Fuel consumption and CO₂ emission figures given in ranges depend on the tires/wheels used.

All terms marked in the text are explained in detail in the technology lexicon at www.audi-mediacenter.com/en/technology-lexicon.

The equipment, data and prices specified in this document refer to the model range offered in Germany. Subject to change without notice; errors and omissions excepted.