[RahulNagaraj]

According to reports, Ford & Lincoln will soon be introducing models with a massive display. These screens are part of their digital development roadmap, which places displays & software at the forefront of their ownership experiences in the future.



As part of this digital experience, both carmakers will soon introduce a massive 48-inch panoramic display on their car's dashboard. This display is scheduled to debut on the 2024 Lincoln Nautilus before being offered on other models. The new panoramic display features the highest resolution and offers apps from Google, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Amazon; among others. The system will also come with BlueCruise, driver-assistance features and a hands-free semi-autonomous driving function.

Ford claims that the massive panoramic screen reduces distraction by letting drivers position the most used apps closer to their line of sight, and less important information/widgets like media, weather and other apps can be placed a bit far off. The system also allows owners to set up driver profiles to save the different configurations.

The system is said to be designed for future updates, with expansion capabilities via over-the-air updates and 5G internet connectivity.

Source: Autoblog

Link to Team-BHP news

[SmartCat]

A few years from now, the car windscreen too will offer a digital experience:

[ZenMaster]

I'm pretty sure it will still be illegal to talk on your phone even then, though it's okay to have a 48 inch display across your car.

[Amrit@wheels]

Aren't these huge interactive screens actually going to cause distraction and potential accidents? I genuinely do not see the point of anything above a 10" screen in a car.

[Newtown]

Originally Posted by Amrit@wheels

Aren't these huge interactive screens actually going to cause distraction and potential accidents? I genuinely do not see the point of anything above a 10" screen in a car.

Not if they eventually think of offering seats converting into flat beds. My opinion - The day may not be too far when the digital vehicle is marketed not only as a means of transportation but also a place with homely conveniences. The world is going a little mad.

[shankar.balan]

This is mind-bendingly silly. There are far too many screens in our lives. But we ought not to have so many digital screen based driver distractions in our future vehicles. This whole thing is getting pretty ridiculous.

[Dry Ice]

At this rate, I dread the day when we will lose the windscreen for a TV.

[Doonite]

I do not mind this as long as it is niggle free and proves it's longevity.

Manufacturers will keep trying to push the boundaries of innovation, it is upto us whether we want to accept it or not.

[sgmuser]

After few kilometres these things will just disappear and you tend to loose interest. I barely use the screens nowadays and when I drive alone I switch off FM radio as it's too much junk nowadays and basically it only annoys, eventhough I consider myself an audiophile. After initial euphoria these interests on big screens will subside. But the manufacturers use this as marketing and nothing else. Even with in built navigation many I see in traffic lights stops using Google maps as it not only gives direction but live traffic data as well. Even Tesla screen is too much and it still uses small tiny text which is hard to read while driving. I'm in for a better smoothened UI in a 10 inch screen rather than 48 inch screens with nonsensical and cluttered UI.

[scorpion143]

It will cause distraction to the driver. Introduction of bigger displays can divert driver attention while driving, which also has safety implications. OEMs should not push such things in their products just to showcase it as some kind of innovation. Innovate for backseats, let the kids/family etc who are sitting back have fun, why to distract a driver?

[14000rpm]

Originally Posted by shankar.balan

This is mind-bendingly silly. There are far too many screens in our lives. But we ought not to have so many digital screen based driver distractions in our future vehicles. This whole thing is getting pretty ridiculous.

Porsche went in almost the same direction adding several screens in the Macan EV and then added a 'Minimalist' mode. Cause a problem and solve it with a new 'mode'. SAAB had this 'minimalist' mode in the Gauge Cluster long long time ago where a switch would enable all gauge lights, except speedo, to turn off.

[Joe367]

Originally Posted by RahulNagaraj

As part of this digital experience, both carmakers will soon introduce a massive 48-inch panoramic display on their car's dashboard.

All that display and they still had to put a second display on the dashboard
Despite being 48 inch screen, due to the aspect ratio - this screen is of no use if you want to watch a movie when the car is parked.

[PZK]

Aesthetically speaking, the main head unit feels out of place – almost like an afterthought compared to the stunning impact of the 48-inch screen. Of course, design preferences will always vary.

Since we cannot control the larger screen with touch, current challenges include:

1. Adjusting to Change: The shift from tactile controls to primarily voice commands will require an adaptation period.

2. Tech Refinement: While Google Assistant and Siri show promise, their current accuracy levels might initially cause some frustration. Fortunately, these technologies are constantly evolving.

3. How to use that 48" of real estate is another story.

Despite these hurdles, I'd still choose the larger screen's visual appeal and ditch the smaller one.

[Srikanthan]

sometime back, my wife purchased a camera which had a phone too (iPhone).

Similarly, soon we might see a day, when we buy a TV which will have a car built around it!

Crazy World!!

[darthvader001]

I see quite a few people here in denial mode. Don't come to a conclusion/judge so soon. See the videos and their use cases. Perhaps you may change your opinion. Ford is a big OEM and they won't do anything just blingy for marketing. The Automotive industry is evolving similar to Mobile and in fact catching up too both in software and hardware.

All that display and they still had to put a second display on the dashboard
Despite being 48 inch screen, due to the aspect ratio - this screen is of no use if you want to watch a movie when the car is parked.

You got it wrong, that Panoramic display is not for watching videos. It is for Driver and Passenger Info. The display will be at Driver's eye level to avoid looking down at the Infotainment System.

3. How to use that 48" of real estate is another story.

Pretty easy. From the Infotainment display, user can select what widget is needed. There are several widgets that user can select from. For e.g. weather, clock, Projecton, Vehicle Metrics etc. See this video -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9rv_uqQdxw

Since we cannot control the larger screen with touch, current challenges include:

No, the big panoramic display is not for interacting, it will be for view-only. On the left side you have Cluster and Navigation (Gmaps) and on the right side you can customize widgets.

It will cause distraction to the driver. Introduction of bigger displays can divert driver attention while driving, which also has safety implications. OEMs should not push such things in their products just to showcase it as some kind of innovation. Innovate for backseats, let the kids/family etc who are sitting back have fun, why to distract a driver?

It may or may not. Easily drivers can get used to it. Many quick needs for a driver can always be there so that driver need not fiddle with the Infotainment to check them. Driver gets an option to have all those widgets showing always without the need to look down and fiddle. In case someone doesn't want in the night or other then there is a calm mode (see above video).

Aren't these huge interactive screens actually going to cause distraction and potential accidents? I genuinely do not see the point of anything above a 10" screen in a car.

Well, what did people say when Samsung introduced the first 6.5inch Note1? This same reaction. What screen size is common in the Mobiles now? Minimum 6inch. People will find the need and embrace it. Otherwise we will never evolve and grow further.