Friend your connected car, it will take care of you

Toyota Motor Corp. on Tuesday unveiled two revamped models — the Crown and the Corolla Sport — the first offerings in its lineup of so-called “connected cars” that will be able to utilize online services offered through a special communications network.

The networked models, for example, allow their owners to become “friends” with them on Line. The owner can then use the messaging app to set a destination on the car’s navigation system, while the car can use it to remind the driver to start on time and make sure there is enough fuel for the trip.

Toyota hopes its so-called mobility service platform will allow other companies, including insurers and car-sharing services, to make use of big data to offer other services to drivers of connected cars.

“I decided to transform Toyota from a car manufacturer into a mobility company that provides various transportation services,” Toyota Motor President Akio Toyoda said at the unveiling event.

“With Crown and Corolla Sport, I want to create a platform where people with a venture spirit come and work together to make these cars evolve with innovative ideas and technologies,” he said.

Toyota plans to install the networking system in all cars sold in the country from here on out.

- No word on when this would be available outside Japan. I hope they don't change from Line to Facebook outside Asia. Although Line will ask you for your contacts, it's nowhere as in your face as Facebook is



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