General Motors Infotainment System Wins Autoblog Award

It used to be so easy. Vehicle audio systems consisted of a volume knob that also turned the system on, a radio station tuning knob, about five preset buttons, and, if it was fancy, an AM/FM toggle. The systems were so similar across models they didn’t even get mentioned in model reviews. Of course, they were also laughably limited. “Infotainment” meant you could hear both news and music stations. Eventually, the systems added the ability to listen to your own tapes until the player started eating them. Later, you could play CDs until the Eject button stopped working. The nav system was in the glove box, likely refolded incorrectly, and if you were looking for a business by name, you stopped by a phone booth with a Yellow Pages. 

So, no, few of us want to return to the car radio, but in its place, the Infotainment system has become a complex factor in how you enjoy interacting with your vehicle. All system manufacturers compete to make the ability to operate multiple audio sources, hands-free phone use, navigation, voice commands, and other system controls as easy and automatic as those radios. Some manufacturers are better at it than others, and according to Autoblog, several General Motors models have the best infotainment system among non-luxury brands.

The Glory of Google Built-in

The best luxury infotainment system went to Volvo, and we mention this because the key ingredient in both the Volvo and GM systems is Google Built-In. Both Volvo and GM decided to leave the electronic interface wizardry to the experts. The result is a system that is fast, intuitive, and easy to use. The world’s most-loved navigation app, Google Maps, is built right into the system. So, the system looks and feels like what you likely use on your phone.  Because Google Maps is built into the vehicle, it can interface with digital gauge clusters and heads-up displays on models so equipped. Also, it can tap into your Google account and automatically get set up with your stored addresses and other information. Also native to the system is the Google Assistant voice recognition and command system, which is much more reliable than vehicle voice systems of the past. 

Access to Many Google Apps 

Possibly best of all, having a Google Operating system in your car means you can access the many available Google Apps from the Google Play store. That means you can download Spotify, your favorite internet radio, or podcasting app, among others, directly from the system. Then, operate them either manually or through Google Assistant. The voice system is handy when selecting one out of hundreds of available music artists. 

General Ease of Use

In addition to Google Built-In, GM’s interface makes it easy to get around, particularly with permanent or “stickied” controls on the left side of the screen that make it easy to switch from audio to nav to settings, etc. In Autoblog’s words: “The tile interface and split-screen capability makes moving about the system and keeping tabs on multiple things at once a breeze. And just like the Volvo infotainment, we appreciate the continued presence of a hard volume knob and in some cases, a physical home button that’ll bring you back to square one from anywhere within the system.”

The system is so easy to use that GM plans to drop Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in favor of just using this system. But that won’t occur until the Blazer EV and Equinox launch. Currently, all GM Google Built-in systems also support the two smartphone mirroring apps. 

As mentioned above, a car’s infotainment system plays a significant part in how you interface with your vehicle, so you may strongly want to consider one regarded as award-winning by the experts. You will find the Google Built-in system in Chevrolet’s truck models, including the Silverado, Colorado, Tahoe, and Suburban, with other models on the way. Check out its operation yourself at Chevrolet of Spring Valley.