Toyota Connected Services details confirmed

Toyota Australia has provided more details about the rollout of its first connected-car technology, Toyota Connected Services, which will become available across a range of models starting with the new Toyota Yaris Cross this month.

Once limited to luxury cars but now increasingly commonplace in mainstream vehicles (witness even the Ford Ranger ute, which now comes with a FordPass Connect onboard modem as standard across the range), connected vehicle tech offers a range of new safety and security functions.

In their most basic form, vehicle connectivity systems enable emergency communications functionality but will eventually allow cars to talk to each other (V2V) and to infrastructure (V2I), paving the way for fully autonomous driving and meeting future requirements by independent crash safety organisations like Euro NCAP.

In the Japanese car-maker’s case, the Toyota Connected Services system employs an embedded data communications module (DCM), which will come standard in every Toyota Yaris Cross.

The DCM is connected to the 4G data network and allows the vehicle to automatically generate an SOS emergency call and relay the location of the vehicle in the event of a collision (when the vehicle's DCM detects airbag deployment or an impact sensor notification).

When triggered, the potentially life-saving technology automatically connects the vehicle to a 24/7 Toyota Emergency Call Centre, where trained operators will connect the vehicle occupants to the required emergency service – police, fire or ambulance – as quickly as possible.

Drivers are also able to request emergency assistance via an SOS (personal duress) button on the overhead console. Call centre personnel then have the ability to assess, triage and facilitate an accurate and fast response from emergency services, potentially saving lives as a result.

And if the vehicle is reported stolen, Toyota Connected Services can also assist authorities to help track the vehicle's location.

The automatic collision notification (ACN), SOS emergency call and stolen vehicle tracking (SVT) services are complimentary for the first three years of ownership and Toyota says it will contact owners before the complimentary three-year period expires, offering them options to extend the service.

Pricing for this and exactly which models will be fitted with Toyota Connected Services next is yet to be announced.

It’s also worth noting that the system is unavailable outside Australia “or if service is disabled or terminated”.

Toyota also warns that functionality is “dependent on sufficient battery power, 4G-enabled DCM, GPS signal strength, mobile network coverage, operational related components and other factors outside Toyota's control which can limit the ability or functionality of the system”.

Toyota Connected Services is being rolled out in Australia with help from Japanese telco KDDI and its global communications platform, and Australian technology company Intelematics, which was established in 1999 and is wholly owned by the RACV.

Intelematics says it implemented its ASURE product suite alongside in-car technology and a contact centre partner to “deliver best-of-breed, Australian-based services to select vehicles”.

“We know that time is of the essence in an emergency situation. Now, vehicle occupants will have access to one of the best emergency assistance products on the market,” the company said.

Toyota Australia sales and marketing chief Sean Hanley said: “Having the ability to further protect the wellbeing of our customers through the delivery of connected safety and security services with the assistance of Intelematics’ call centre solutions and services is a wonderful addition to our vehicle technology.”