At the 2015 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles [NYSE:FCAU] unveiled some new features for its Uconnect Access suite of services. These services will help FCA continue to ride the wave of car connectivity, which seeks to give consumers more ways to interact with their vehicles even when they are not in them.
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FCA's Vehicle Finder does exactly what the name says, showing owners satellite or hybrid map views to help them find their cars, beeping the horn remotely, or downloading the location to separate navigation apps. Like all of the new Uconnect Access Services, it's controlled through a newly-updated smartphone app.
That app now also includes a Send Destination to Vehicle navigation function, which allows users to look up a destination on their phones and transfer a place name or address to their cars' navigation systems with the push of a button.
FCA will also offer a Monthly Vehicle Health Report service that sends maintenance status updates to owners via email. It includes updates for the powertrain, oil and fluids, brakes, suspension, and safety systems, and warns if any maintenance or repairs are required.
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If that's not urgent enough, FCA customers can also receive Vehicle Health Alert emails whenever a dashboard "idiot light" is triggered. The messages include an explanation of what the warning light means and what action needs to be taken, the company says.
The new Uconnect Access features will launch later this year in certain 2015 model year vehicles. Note, shoppers will have to specify certain optional infotainment features and get a subscription to Uconnect.
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