Our smartphone follows us everywhere. So why not use it as a multimedia screen in the car? That would be smart. For Dacia it was self-evident, albeit on the condition that it was fully integrated into the driving experience. This is how Media Control was born.
Nicolas Legros, Director of Transversal Operations for Dacia, explains the philosophy and advantages of this system, which is introduced in New Dacia Sandero.
“At Dacia, we are committed to redefining the essence of the car. For that we had to find a smart, simple and attractive multimedia solution. Moreover, customer studies show that the buyers of the brand prioritize simplicity in this area. That is an important point raised by members of the Dacia community as well. Our engineers and designers have worked closely together to create Media Control, a system that places our customers’ favorite screen – their smartphone – at the center of the multimedia experience in the interior. ”
Indeed, taking your smartphone out of your pocket to make it your travel companion without having to place a hard-to-attach support on your ventilation grilles? That ease of use would appeal to many people. And this is well understood at Dacia. To make life easier for drivers with smart, affordable and contemporary solutions, the brand’s engineers and designers have pooled their talents and came up with a very practical solution…
What is Media Control?
Nicolas Legros explains the system: “Media Control is a complete multimedia system. It includes a radio, two speakers, a USB connection, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel controls and, above all, a docking station for smartphones integrated into the dashboard. From the start of the project, this station was fully integrated into the design of the dashboard. In this way we guarantee comfort and user-friendliness for our customers. ”
The smartphone, which is placed in the universal housing in the center of the dashboard of New Dacia Sandero and held firmly in place, integrates perfectly into the driving experience. The strategic placement, at the top of the dashboard and slightly turned towards the driver, guarantees readability of the data, which improves safety. All you need to do is download the Dacia Media Control app on your smartphone. A simple Bluetooth connection then turns your smartphone into a full-fledged addition to the dashboard, replacing the integrated multimedia system.
Navigation, radio, music, telephone and even access to vehicle information – all essential functions are at your fingertips. Even the voice control is present, thanks to the voice recognition of the smartphone.
And when the phone is not in the holder, the latter disappears into the dashboard for more discretion.
A smart system with sophisticated functions
However, all this is not enough to turn Media Control into a 100% smart multimedia system. Thanks to the customizable app, the system also adapts to the needs of each user and even connects to the car’s on-board computer.
However, all this is not enough to turn Media Control into a 100% smart multimedia system. Thanks to the customizable app, the system also adapts to the needs of each user and even connects to the car’s on-board computer.
This makes it possible to create shortcuts to your favorite widgets and apps and even to frequently called contacts. To navigate, each driver chooses his own preferred app thanks to the wide choice of maps and guidance systems. Choose multimedia à la carte. Radio, playlists from your telephone, subscription to music platforms, USB stick or MP3 player … There is no shortage of choice. In addition to calls, the phone has all the essential functions: a hands-free mode to look up contacts in the phone book, consult the call history or consult scheduled events in the calendar. With Android devices, and soon also on iOS, the SMS function even reads out messages. In terms of vehicle functions, Driving ECO provides real-time access to consumption data and gives the driver personalized driving tips at the end of each journey.
Upon arrival, more distracted drivers will appreciate the phone alert and the Go To My Car feature, which guides them back to the car’s last parking spot.
All this is so smart and practical!
Hans Knol ten Bensel
Autoprova - for the Connaisseur 