Vauxhall's recently unveiled GT Concept is something of looker, with its smooth, unbroken exterior, sleek black and grey styling and flashes of red highlighting. The story doesn't stop there, though. A first look at the car's interior reveals a high-tech, buttonless interface that is just as slick.
- The car's Human Machine Interface (HMI), or how the driver interacts with the vehicle, is operated by voice only or via a central touchpad, doing away with any buttons for a more streamlined, minimalistic approach.
This control system is said to be self-learning, meaning that it will recognize the driver's habits and automatically tailor itself to their needs. Vauxhall says it will learn from "every command, every touch of the steering wheel and every setting over days, months and years."
Among the practical applications of this are the ability for the car to remember what climate conditions the driver typically prefers, to identify what sort of music they are likely to want to listen to or to build route preferences into directions. The system can also be used to optimize the accelerator, transmission and engine control based on the driver's preferred driving style.
There is also a safety aspect to the system, with sensors around the car used to monitor its surrounding environment. When potential hazards are detected, they are flagged up to the driver by way of spoken alerts and images are relayed to displays on either side of the dashboard, which take the place of side mirrors.
Also on the dashboard, alongside the central console, are two instrument displays. Though inspired by conventional car instruments, they actually use customizable 3D graphics, first shown in the Vauxhall Monza Concept, to display vehicle info like navigation, fuel consumption and g-force values of longitudinal acceleration when cornering.
Elsewhere, the GT Concept has ergonomically-designed seats and low-beltline doors for a comfortable arm resting position. The steering wheel and pedals can also be adjusted. Style-wise, the black, grey and red scheme from the exterior is pulled through for the fabrics and surfaces, with brushed aluminum trim also used.
The GT Concept will debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
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