Toyota South Africa has teamed up with Altron and Vodacom Business to enable connectivity features and in-car wi-fi on all new Toyota and Lexus vehicles.
Explaining the partnership, Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota South Africa, said the importance of telematics and telecommunication in the vehicles of the future necessitated the partnership.
The importance of telematics and telecommunications in tomorrow’s vehicles cannot be overstated – hence our partnership with global technology group Altron (through Netstar) and telecoms giant Vodacom in this project.
Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota South Africa
The new connectivity hub christened Toyota Connect will be integrated into the MyToyota App and will offer all Toyota owners access to convenience and safety benefits.
According to Kirby, from September 1 in-car wi-fi will be available for all Toyota and Lexus models sold in SA.
As of 01 September 2019, all-new Toyota and Lexus models sold in South Africa will come standard with in-car Wi-Fi including 15GB free data (which you can top up) as well as a host of connectivity features and benefits courtesy of Toyota Connect, a major extension of the MyToyota App
Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota South Africa
The wi-fi top-ups can be done using Toyota Connect or banking apps.
The Benefits in Toyota Connect
Toyota Connect is built to help users manage the maintenance of their vehicles. When customers use the service booking option, they enjoy benefits like being reminded that their vehicles are due for servicing.
Toyota Connect is built to help users manage the maintenance of their vehicles. Credit: shutterstock
The Logbook facility automatically archives a digital log of vehicle mileage and service history for future purposes. The GPS locator provides extra convenience as you can easily view the location of the car.
The service also has a Roadside Assistance with impact detection. This means that customers have 24/7 access to real-time support. Battery health can also be monitored through Battery Health Check as it displays real-time status of the battery.
Nester, a subsidiary of Altron together with Toyota developed the Toyota Connect to include Internet of Things (IoT) functions like telematics and fleet management.
Mteto Nyati, Altron Group Chief Executive said once a customer has opted-in, data collected by telematics provides accident and breakdown assistance.
Once a customer has opted-in, the data aggregated from the telematics module will provide insights to Toyota, their dealer network, customers, fleet owners and third-party service providers such as the Automobile Association (AA), providing accident and breakdown assistance.
Mteto Nyati, Altron Group Chief Executive
Talking about the influence of technology on the market expectation of consumers, Kirby revealed that owners of vehicles are becoming aware of how technology enhances their life.
Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of how connected technologies can enhance their lives and our task as a forward-thinking organisation is to evolve in tandem with market expectations.
Andrew Kirby, CEO of Toyota South Africa
William Mzimba, Chief Officer at Vodacom Business also acknowledged that an increase in sales for cars that rank high in technology has been noticed.
We’re witnessing an increasing number of car buyers ranking in-car technology as important as vehicle performance. They want their cars to be safe, efficient, better equipped and fun.
William Mzimba, Chief Officer at Vodacom Business
The demand for vehicles with high technological performance is on the increase with self-driving cars and electric cars becoming common. The time is about right for a large automotive manufacturer like Toyota to make their vehicles compliant with technological advancement.
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