Your newest 4G/LTE device won’t fit in your pocket, but it will do zero to 60 mph in just over seven seconds.
At the 2013 Los Angeles Auto Show this week, Audi announced its new A3 will feature a built-in 4G/LTE data connection, which will power a navigation system with Google Earth, a sound system using Internet-based radio, and a host of other apps.
Audi declined to reveal which service provider it contracted with, other than to say it had “extensive 4G coverage around the country,”CNET reports.
The first-party Audi Connect app will sync your smartphone with the car via WiFi, allowing Apple or Android devices to send addresses to the navigation system or radio-station streams to the stereo.
You won’t have to take your hands off the wheel to use the touchscreen-enabled Audi Multi-Media Interface. You can use the Google cloud-enabled voice command or Siri to call up your Facebook and Twitter feed, and have it read or dictate your messages aloud.
Hardware includes Nvidia processors, a 705-watt Bang & Olufsen 14-speaker audio system, and a two-toggle switch console controller with a touchpad dial.
The rest of the hardware is a little more traditional, with a base model 1.8-liter four cylinder engine with 170-horsepower, front-wheel or all-wheel-drive and S-Tronic six-speed dual clutch automated manual transmission.
Models will start showing up showrooms in late 2014 and early 2015, with a base price will be $29,900.