Continental develops infotainment system for PSA Peugeot Citroën Group in China

Shanghai, May 14, 2013: International automotive supplier Continental has developed the new Multimedia Radio Navigation (MRN) System for the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group in China.

The product was launched with the Dongfeng Citroën C4 L car model in March 2013 and will later be available in different vehicles. Based on Continental’s scalable Multimedia Platform concept, the MRN System is the first navigation solution of Continental, exclusively tailor-made for a Chinese vehicle manufacturer. The development was mainly done by experts in Shanghai and Singapore, thus marking an important milestone for the development activities in Asia.

“In line with Continental’s ‘in the market – for the market’ strategy, the launch of the Multimedia Radio Navigation System with the PSA Peugeot Citroën Group symbolises our strong capability to develop competitive, unique and tailor-made products for the Asian markets,” said Johann Hiebl, Head of Continental’s Business Unit Infotainment & Connectivity.

Touchscreen with Chinese handwriting recognition

The product integrates innovative technologies including a 7-inch high-resolution touchscreen for effective and convenient navigation guidance, featuring 3D junction view as well as Point Of Interest services. The touchscreen allows hand-writing recognition of Chinese characters and pin-yin (romanisation of Chinese) to ease operation.

For in-car entertainment, the system includes a DVD player and enables the seamless integration of auxiliary media devices via USB and iPod interfaces. Thanks to a double tuner with phase diversity algorithm, the radio reception shows a high-class performance. The Arkamys sound system is adapted to the acoustics of each car and offers premium sound quality. The user can set the system to a ‘driver only’ or an ‘all passengers’ configuration. In addition, the system can be connected to a wide range of mobile devices via Bluetooth, enabling hands-free telephony and music streaming. The MRN is based on Microsoft’s Windows Embedded Automotive operating system, a flexible and extendable software platform that enables the integration of new additional features over the entire lifetime of the vehicle.

“Nowadays, car buyers not only require the cars to be extremely safe and environmentally friendly, connectivity and attractive infotainment find their way onto more and more wish-lists. Following the vision ‘Always On’ our products connect drivers and passengers to what matters to them, making their vehicles a true digital companion,” said Hiebl.

Photograph: Developed especially for the Chinese market: Continental’s new infotainment system with Chinese handwriting recognition.