New models of Toyota and Lexus vehicles sold in South Africa will now come with fitted in-built Wi-Fi capability.
Dubbed the Toyota Connect, the new connectivity hub will be a feature of the MyToyota App (available on Android and iOS) which was launched by the Japanese auto-manufacturer in 2014.
The latest development is a product of an agreement between Toyota, Vodacom and South African technology solutions company, Altron.
The CEO of Toyota South Africa, Andrew Kirby said, “As of 01 September 2019, all-new Toyota and Lexus models sold in South Africa will come standard with in-car Wi-Fi including 15GB free data (which you can top up) as well as a host of connectivity features and benefits courtesy of Toyota Connect, a major extension of the MyToyota App.
“The importance of telematics and telecommunications in tomorrow’s vehicles cannot be overstated – hence our partnership with global technology group Altron (through Netstar) and telecoms giant Vodacom in this project. Consumers are increasingly becoming aware of how connected technologies can enhance their lives and our task as a forward-thinking organization is to evolve in tandem with market expectations.”
According to reports, Altron’s subsidiary Netstar has developed an electronic device which will be fitted into all the new Toyota and Lexus vehicles in South Africa. As part of features, it will have an e-Sim supplied by Vodacom Business which will connect to two APNs, one will be a prepaid APN for Internet access and the other a post-paid APN for telemetry and other services.
Toyota South Africa also stated that the new Toyota Connect solution is not limited only to passenger vehicles, but from 1 September 2019, it will also be fitted to other vehicle categories such as minibusses.
Mteti Nyatu, Chief Executive at Altron Group said, “This locally-developed technology enables connectivity and gives real-time data to both Toyota and its customers. It positions Altron and South Africa as relevant players in the internet of things globally. We are truly excited about this collaboration.
‘Once a customer has opted-in, the data aggregated from the telematics module will provide insights to Toyota, their dealer network, customers, fleet owners and third-party service providers such as the Automobile Association (AA), providing accident and breakdown assistance.”
