Chevrolet Spark and Sonic will integrate Siri

Chevrolet announced at the Los Angeles Auto Show that the U.S. version of the Chevrolet Spark (https://www.chevrolet.co.uk/cars/spark) and Sonic (known as Aveo in Europe) will integrate Siri, the intelligent assistant early in 2013.

Through the cars’ standard Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system, customers with a compatible iPhone (4S and newer) running iOS 6 can direct Siri to perform a number of tasks while they keep their eyes on the road and their hands on the wheel.

To further minimize distraction, an “Eyes Free” Siri mode enables users to interact with their iPhone using just their voice, without the device’s screen lighting up. Owners simply connect their iPhone with the MyLink radio via Bluetooth, pair with the system, and use the steering wheel voice activation button to begin and end sessions with Siri.

In the U.S., Spark and Sonic RS, owners can use Siri in Eyes Free mode to:

• Make voice-activated, hands-free calls to Contacts on their iPhone
• Play songs in the iTunes library, and even switch music sources automatically from AM/FM/XM radio to iPod mode
• Listen to, and compose and send an iMessage or text message to a phone number or anyone in saved Contacts
• Access Calendar and add appointments
• Minimize distraction further by keeping the screen of the iPhone from lighting up, even when Siri answers simple questions such as game scores or the dates of national holidays.

While in Eyes Free mode, Siri will not provide answers to complex questions that require displaying a web page.

“It says a lot about our commitment to small-car (http://www.chevrolet.co.uk/cars/small-city-cars) customers that Siri Eyes Free will be available in the Spark and Sonic well before the luxury brands,” said Cristi Landy, Chevrolet marketing director for small cars. Both the Spark and the Sonic also come with six months of OnStar’s premium Directions and Connections service. OnStar services include Automatic Crash Response, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Vehicle Diagnostics and Roadside Assistance. Most smartphone owners can also download the RemoteLink Mobile App, which allows OnStar subscribers to control and manage certain vehicle functions from their phone. For information on OnStar’s services, visit onstar.com [https://www.onstar.com/web/portal/landing].

Other posts you may be interested in reading:

1. Stitcher Connect API launches in Chevrolet Sonic and Spark models
2. Chevrolet MyLink infotainment system debuts on Volt and Equinox
3. Chevrolet and OnStar develop smartphone app for Volt