When you're buying a car, one looks at the design, size, price, engine for performance and mileage. Apart from this, you're generally looking for a comfortable vehicle that packs in as many creature comforts as possible. A part of creature comforts is the core infotainment system which includes the main display, the speaker system, fringe features like some ADAS capability, some smart car capability and support for the latest features Google and Apple are bringing to the car. Here are the best infotainment systems in cars that cost less than Rs. 10 lakh ( all prices are ex-showroom).
The new HD touchscreen infotainment system is responsive to touch and easy to navigate as well. The instrument console is digital as well and nearly laid out but could've been a tad bit more dynamic
The latest Hyundai i20 has to be perhaps the most loaded car in the market when one talks about the in-car entertainment system. Based on the BlueLink system you get a 10.25-inch panel which is very large coupled with a powerful 7-speaker Bose sound system, you get a suite that offers a great sound system, and a big screen out of the box - with connected car tech and support for Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The wireless version of CarPlay and Android Auto has been introduced in the Sport variant. Very few people will be able to nitpick and find avenues to upgrade the infotainment system in the i20.
Price: Hyundai i20 Sportz - Rs. 7.69 lakh onwards
The 10.25-inch HD infotainment screen is loaded on tech and easy-to-use as well
The Kia Sonet took India by storm in the middle of a pandemic last year. It did so with good reason - because of its compact SUV vibes coupled with a smartly designed and loaded car. Again, leveraging the UVO platform, it packs smart car technology, but also has an elegant infotainment system with a 10.25-inch screen and a 7 speaker Bose sound system. It also supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and recently the HTK+ and HTK variants even support this feature wirelessly.
Price: Kia Sonet HTK+ - Rs. 8.65 lakh onwards
The Magnite is one of the first cars to offer Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
The Nissan Magnite is one of the newest kids on the block. Its 8-inch screen is amongst the most responsive on the block and it was the first in the segment to introduce wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It also has a 360-degree camera. If you opt for the more expensive tech pack - then it adds premium JBL speakers, air purification, wireless charging which makes it an overall very neat package.
Price: Nissan Magnite XV - Rs. 7.15 lakh onwards + Tech Pack (Rs. 39,000)
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The Kiger by Renault is basically the twin of the Magnite. As it shares many aspects with the Magnite, it also shares the infotainment package with it. This means you're looking at the same 8-inch display that works with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, however, this feature is restricted to the top of the line RXZ variant. It also gets an add on smart pack that adds better speakers, a front parking sensor, ambient lighting indoors, air purification and wireless charging.
Price: Renault Kiger RXT - Rs. 6.80 lakh onwards + Smart Pack (Rs. 38,200)
(Top-spec models of the Tata Altroz iTurbo get Tata's iRA connected car technology along with other features like 'What 3 Words', Xpress Cooling and so on)
The Tata Altroz has an infotainment system designed by Harman, the parent company behind JBL. Its 7-inch panel that's home to Tata's IRA interface which also supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. It is paired with 6 speakers from Harman which sound pretty good. It even features voice recognition and connected car tech allowing you to control some aspects of the car using a smartphone app, though it is not as sophisticated as BlueLink on the i20 or UVO on the Kia Sonet.
Price: Tata Altroz XT - Rs. 7.29 lakh + XM Rhythm Pack (Rs. 39,000)
