Jaguar Land Rover’s Pivi Pro infotainment system wins top European tech award

Jaguar Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment has been recognised by the prestigious motoring jury Autobest, and has received the SMARTBEST 2020 award dedicated to the best connected technologies in the industry.

Jaguar Land Rover’s new Pivi Pro touchscreen infotainment has an industry-leading design and shares electronic hardware with the latest smartphones. The fast-responding and intuitive Pivi Pro system allows customers to make full use of Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) technology, without compromising its ability to stream music and connect to apps on the move.

The always-on and always-connected Pivi Pro set-up sits at the heart of Jaguar and Land Rover models and its high-resolution touch-screen allows customers to control all aspects of the vehicle using the same processing hardware as the latest smartphones. In addition, customers can connect two mobile devices to the infotainment head unit at once using Bluetooth, so the driver and passenger can enjoy hands-free functionality concurrently without the need to swap connections.

Pivi Pro’s high-resolution touch-screen allows users to control all aspects of the vehicle using the same processing hardware as the latest smartphones.

AUTOBEST chairman Dan Vardie said: “This is one of the most ambitious prizes we offer, dedicated to the best connected technologies we have in the industry. This year, Pivi Pro proved to be unchallenged by any of the competitors’ on-board connected technology, not to mention the simplicity in operation as the driver can focus on driving. Access to 90 percent of commonly used functions from the display with a maximum of two clicks.”

Commenting on the JLR infotainment system, Peter Virk, Director of Connected Car and Future Technology for Jaguar Land Rover said: “Pivi Pro is testament to the incredible work within our software engineering teams and we’re delighted to have been recognised with this award. With one Long Term Evolution (LTE) modem and eSIM dedicated to the Software-Over-The-Air (SOTA) technology and the same set-up looking after music streaming and apps, our latest cars have the digital capacity to keep customers connected, updated and entertained at all times anywhere in the world. You could liken the design to a brain, with each half enjoying its own connection for unrivalled and uninterrupted service. Like the brain, one side of the system looks after logical functions, like SOTA, while the other takes care of more creative tasks.”

To enable almost instantaneous start-up, Pivi Pro has its own dedicated power source, so navigation is ready as soon as the driver is behind the wheel, while the embedded apps available – including Spotify, Deezer and TuneIn – provide full functionality even without a smartphone. Further connected features include Google and Microsoft Outlook calendar integration which enables the driver to view work diaries and even join important calls through the hands-free system. Meanwhile, weather at destination gives a forecast depending on the route entered in the navigation system.

Pivi Pro connectivity is provided by the latest dual-sim technology with two LTE modems enabling the system to carry out multiple functions at the same time, such as streaming media and downloading SOTA updates, without compromising performance. The cutting-edge connectivity also ensures minimal interruptions caused by coverage blackspots as it roams across network providers for the strongest signal.

Advanced SOTA connectivity enables customers to download and install software updates without having to visit a Jaguar retailer. Updates are downloaded in the background, with customers notified by an alert detailing the key changes. For updates that require the vehicle to be switched-off, customers can schedule a convenient time for installation.

Editors’ notes:

Pivi Pro infotainment is now available on a range of Jaguar products including F-Pace, E-Pace, I-Pace, XF and XE. For Land Rover products, the system is available on the New Land Rover Discovery, Land Rover Discovery Sport, Range Rover Velar, Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Defender