Honda Cars India Ltd. has launched a new intelligent and advanced information platform for customers called Honda Connect. It enables communication between the customer, car, his family, and Honda. This platform, which they claim is the first of its kind in India, lets the owner monitor various aspects of his/her vehicle including vehicle health, trip data, service and maintenance scheduling and more. The Honda Connect app comes integrated with multiple safety and security features. The Honda Connect device has been developed by Minda i-Connect and is being offered at the Honda dealerships exclusively to all new customers of Honda Jazz, Honda City, and Honda CR-V at an introductory price of INR 2,999 by Honda’s subsidiary for accessory business – Honda Access India Pvt. Ltd.
Honda Connect comes with multiple useful features.
Convenience Features
- Service Booking/ Alerts: The Service features enable the owner to get push notifications about their vehicle’s maintenance including periodic service alerts, scheduling on-line service appointments, building a detailed history of each maintenance action taken on the vehicle, including the visit date, dealer name, cost and so on.
- What’s new and Feedback System: Gives information to regarding new products and campaigns being offered by Honda. Also the users can give feedback directly to the company.
Utility Features
- Manual SOS feature: A simple click will alert the user’s family or friends, depending on whose number has been fed into the app, that he/she is in distress and needs help.
- Pit Stops: Helps the user search for the nearest Honda dealer and nearest fuel Station
- Insurance and PUC renewal: Reminders can be set for Car Insurance and PUC renewal.
- Document Wallet: Allows the customers to keep important document photos related to their car.
- Fuel Log : Records information such as when the vehicle is refueled and shows fuel economy figures, based on the fuel filled and odometer reading.
Safety and sense of Security – Connected Car features (available only after installation of “Connected Device”)
- Impact Alert: The device comes with multiple sensors which detect the vehicle’s 3D orientation to determine if the car has been involved in an impact. The Impact Alert feature activates HCIL’s 24X7 call center to generate an assistance call where the Honda representative will try to get in touch with the customer and then inform their pre-determined emergency contact numbers with the car location so that help can be organized.
- Locate My Car: Enables the user to locate his/her car
- Trip analysis: Provides all the information and statistics including route taken, Average speed and Idling time. It will also let them know the stops being made or harsh driving. This is especially useful when the car is handed over to a driver or chauffeur.
- My Car’s Health: Monitors the vehicles health and alerts the user in case of possible issues with the car.
- Share My Location: The user can share his/her location with family members or friends. Helps in tracking the vehicle.
Speaking about the all-new information platform, Mr. Katsushi Inoue, President & CEO, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “Today technology has become an integrated part of our lives. The development of Honda Connect is part of our mission to create innovations that best suit our customers’ digital-based life styles. This platform offers a value added communications channel that bonds Honda even more closely with our customers.”
The launch of Honda Connect marks the brand’s 20th anniversary in India. The Honda Connect app is available on iOS and Android platforms for free download from the Apple App Store and Google Play for everyone in the country. The device is [riced at INR 2,999 for the first 20,000 customers and yearly subscription costs INR 2,500.
