Best Family SUV 2021: Technology
Family SUVs can’t simply be wired for sound; they need to cover lots of tech bases, right throughout the vehicleMany of us remember switching from cassette decks to CD players and even stackers as we upgraded to newer cars, but for some time now ‘infotainment tech’ has become common parlance in our fast-evolving digital age. The prerequisites of a good multimedia system in a family SUV not only include software that can seamlessly integrate with portable devices, but hardware that allows those portable devices to be charged. Some SUVs have the infotainment hardware frills and software skills we’ve come to expect, while others still have work to do.
Infotainment versatility is the name of the game for busy families running around in large SUVs such as the eight in contention for .
From school runs in busy traffic to “all aboard!” on a family holiday, there needs to be in-car information and entertainment accessible to everyone.
It is disappointing to see the lack of infotainment tech in some of these SUVs, while others surprise with very clever features.
Getting back to basics, what you can expect in all of these family SUVs is to be able to listen to the radio – AM, FM and, in all but the Volkswagen Tiguan Allspace Wolfsburg Edition 2.0T AWD, digital (DAB+) radio.
All tout some kind of premium audio experience with multitudes of speakers, from the Mazda CX-8 Asaki 2.2D AWD’s 273-Watt Bose system to the Volkswagen’s Columbus 400W system.
Only the Hyundai Palisade Highlander 2.2D AWD, Hyundai Santa Fe Highlander 2.2D AWD and Kia Sorento GT-Line 2.2D AWD do not have wireless smartphone connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which is standard in all the others here.
Ask any parent and they’ll tell you that being able to keep all devices charged is almost as important as having sufficient fuel for a holiday trip.
Only the Volkswagen and the Toyota Kluger Hybrid Grande AWD lack a wireless charging pad for Qi-compatible smartphones up front, and they’re the only two without any USB ports in the third row.
All models on our mega-test have a minimum of two USB points in each of the first two rows.
Embedded sat-nav is also found in all the vehicles on test, and only the Palisade lacks traffic sign recognition.
Infotainment highlights include the Volkswagen multimedia system’s gesture control, while the two Hyundais and the Kia have a neat intercom system linking the driver to the second and third row occupants.
The Skoda Kodiaq RS is the only model here with an embedded SIM, which allows the vehicle to be located, locked/unlocked and its horn sounded and lights flashed all via the Skoda phone app.
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