CES 2016: VW introduces next wave in gesture control

The pure-electric Budd-e Microbus concept hogged all the limelight at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), but Volkswagen also introduced some of the all-new tech coming to its most popular car, the Golf hatch, at the Vegas event.

Called the e-Golf Touch, the new hatchback concept comes with the German car maker’s next-generation infotainment system that’s said to feature technologies that are all close to production.

All infotainment functions are now displayed and operated through a large 9.2-inch high-resolution screen, without auxiliary buttons. The new system is also said to support Mirrorlink, Android Auto and Apple Carplay and are all operated via VW’s Car-Net app.

What’s different from the current systems available in the cars we drive is the new home screen is completely configurable, with media, satnav, or phone icons all able to be dragged around the home screen and shrunk or enlarged in order of preference.

It’s not clear from the CES release how the gesture tech actually works, but it’s expected a range of motion sensors surrounding the screen will interpret both movement and depth of hand signals to enable the driver to ‘push’ virtual buttons on the screen.

The new system also incorporates the firm’s latest voice control technology that can provide shortcuts through sub menus. Instead of stabbing a steering wheel-mounted button, the new tech starts ‘listening’ when you say a configurable phrase like: “hello Volkswagen”.

The new system will be available this winter 2016 in Europe, it’s not known when we’ll get it.

Other new tech soon to be introduced includes wireless charging for smartphones or similar devices. Place your phone in a mobile phone tray under the infotainment system and it recharges inductively, without a physical connection. A similar charger will be available in the back seats in the rear armrest.

Future Golfs will also come with ‘Type C’ USB ports that are said to allow quicker charging without interrupting data transfer.

Struggling to chat to those sitting in the rear seats at speed will no longer be an issue in the Golf, says Volkswagen, because it’s developed rear speakers that incorporate small hands-free microphones. If your passengers start talking it amplifies their voice to suit the vehicle's speed and enables you to hear one another.

Since many cities are now adopting car-sharing, Volkswagen has also created something it’s calling Personalisation 2.0. This system allows all individual settings for one driver to be saved in the cloud via VW’s Car-Net app. Jump from one vehicle to another and, thanks to the smartphone app, the new VW you’re driving instantly has all your personal settings, from seat position, audio streaming services and anything else you’ve pre-programmed via the app.

Other new features include a Service Assistant that makes recommendations through the infotainment system, like swapping to snow tyres in colder markets. A Charging Assistant directs you when to charge and an app helps you find a parking spot close to your destination.

The new infotainment system is expected to be introduced later this year with the facelift of the current, Mark 7 Golf. The gesture technology is expected to come later on the Mark 8 Golf that should be here early 2018.