The Golf’s new multimedia system is far from being unanimous. Therefore, Volkswagen is evolving it, promising more efficient voice control, more intuitive operation and increased speed.
The beginning of the Golf 8’s career was not a long easy one. Not content with having landed in the midst of a global pandemic, the Volkswagen compact was the subject of grievances during its first international tests. Much of the criticism has focused on its new dashboard, a break from previous generations. In addition to declining manufacturing quality, many have struggled to get used to the virtual disappearance of buttons, requiring the use of the touchscreen for most of the actions. Journalists are not the only ones to have expressed reservations. It is moreover by relying on “Many customer requests” that the brand claims to have developed a first “Major update of the infotainment system” of his Golf 8.
Refined voice control
One of the main developments relates to voice control. Triggered by pronouncing a simple “hello Volkswagen”, it now benefits from digital microphones which would distinguish the driver from the passenger. It would thus be able to adapt the temperature according to the person who requests it. She would also understand more sentences of everyday life than before, drawing her information sometimes in the vehicle, sometimes online, in the “cloud”. Say “I’m cold” or “where can I find a Japanese restaurant in Berlin? Could thus prove to be sufficient to obtain an appropriate response. Volkswagen reports an understanding rate of 95% and suggestions four times faster than before. Will this be enough to reach the level of the A-Class, which the famous “hey Mercedes” has been referring to since the launch of the fourth generation in 2018? To find out, it will be necessary to carry out a new test.
Slightly revised ergonomics
This upgrade is expected to go into production in the coming weeks. In an attempt to improve ergonomics, it will also modify the operation of the sliders that allow you to adjust the volume and the temperature. Since they are placed in a thin strip just below the touchscreen, a bit like the ID.3, many people sometimes activate them unintentionally. Volkswagen therefore decided to freeze them as soon as the finger touches the central panel. The small buttons located around that of the hazard lights, under the aerators, are even blocked a little before, when the hand is a few centimeters from the screen.
Update planned for current Golfs
Finally, to make the multimedia system more efficient, a more sophisticated processor and graphics card are also installed. This would significantly reduce the response time. For example, displaying a list of results for a navigation destination would take less than 5 s now in most cases. In return, this means that a remote update will not be enough to bring the vehicles already delivered to the same level as the others. However, the brand announces, at least in its press release in English, that they will also be affected by software improvements. Will they have to go back to the workshop and will they also be entitled to material modifications? We will keep you informed as soon as we have received an answer to our questions on the subject.
TO READ. Volkswagen Golf 8. Recalls and corrective actions since launch
