The
now available Fiat 500 is being
advertised as a sort of Italian (but made in Poland) MINI Cooper, with a cute design and a nimble next-gen
Ford Ka platform. One item that the little Fiat will have that the MINI doesn't is the Blue&Me system that Fiat co-developed with Microsoft.
Blue&Me packs most of the technology that's on Ford and Microsoft's
SYNC, but with hands-free navigation added to the tech party. Like with SYNC, Blue&Me uses the radio as its main interface to connect iPods and phones instead of a navigation system, which should help keep costs down.
We were impressed with SYNC at a recent Ford event, and Blue&Me seems to take the concept of integrating the driver's digital assets to the car to the next level. It appears that the Europeans have gotten the better version of auto technology yet again.
[Source: Engadget]