!NEW! Opel ADAM: TV Ad Campaign for the Best Connected Small Car Starts

Spotlight is on IntelliLink infotainment system in new TV commercials

Colorful wedding party: The Opel ADAM with IntelliLink and Siri Eyes Free voice control makes getting married a breeze.

A different kind of wedding: in a new international TV advertising campaign for ADAM, Opel shows that the big day doesn’t necessarily have to take place in a civil registry office or church. The TV spot shows that the Opel ADAM is the best connected small car in its class thanks to its IntelliLink infotainment system and Siri Eyes Free voice control function, which also makes it the perfect wedding venue. With the motto “Connected for life”, Opel demonstrates the ADAM’s unique connectivity possibilities in a very special marriage ceremony.

Opel ADAM: Wedding campaign 

In the 30-second TV spot “Wedding”, a wedding party including the minister and witnesses is on the road in many colorful ADAMs. But instead of heading to the church in their lifestyle cars, the marriage ceremony is performed underway. Connected over the clever IntelliLink system with Siri Eyes Free, the bride and groom say “yes” during the ride and the minister – also digitally connected – pronounces them husband and wife.

“Connectivity of all kinds is the subject of our time,” says Tina Müller, Chief Marketing Officer at Opel. “With the ADAM we have brought a fully customizable and optimally connected car onto the road. But technology alone is cold. It only becomes emotional when it enriches our lives. This TV spot shows this a surprising and fun way.”

The European TV ad campaign, created by the German agency Scholz & Friends Hamburg, begins February, 10 on high-viewership TV stations.

!NEW! The Infotainment systems of the new Opel Insignia

Clearly arranged cockpit with new Infotainment generation in the new Opel Insignia

The spotlight was on three criteria during the enhancement of the cockpit: clear, simple and thus intuitive operation, customization of the infotainment offer, and of course comfort and safety for driver and passengers, which is increased even more thanks to lowest-possible distraction from road traffic.

The center console has a completely new feeling of subtlety and refinement, and it harbors a host of state-of-the-art technologies and functions. The black piano lacquer and chrome control panel was drastically simplified. It now has just a few buttons so that operation of the infotainment system and e.g. air conditioning is fast and intuitive.

The new infotainment generation in the Insignia can be controlled over an 8-inch color display with touch operation. From the starting screen the driver can access all function and sub-menus such as radio stations, song titles, smartphone connection or 3D navigation map via button, touchscreen, voice control or the brand new touchpad. And the infotainment system can be individualized – up to 60 personal favorites (e.g. playlists, phone contacts, navigation addresses) can be stored.

The touchpad is ergonomically integrated in the center console and offers a completely new way of quickly and intuitively accessing the infotainment system. Its illuminated, touch-sensitive surface reacts immediately to finger movements including haptic feedback and makes operation of the new infotainment generation child’s play without distracting the driver from the traffic situation. Even individual letters – for instance when searching for a song title in the database or a city in the navigation system – can be entered by fingertip on the touchpad.

Additionally, the Insignia driver can control the newest generation infotainment system over newly designed, clearly laid-out steering wheel controls as well as voice commands. The advanced voice recognition function can be activated by the simple push of a button on the steering wheel controls and can also process more than one command at a time. The wide range of operating choices is the result of enhancements to the new infotainment generation.

Intensifying the Human-and-Machine-Interface (HMI) connection is the newly designed instrument panel with an up to 8-inch high-resolution color display. In addition to the classic readouts like speed, rpm and fuel tank level, further information on navigation, smartphone use and audio options are directly in the driver’s line of sight and can be adjusted.

!NEW! Opel Leads Field Test: Vehicle Communication Improves Traffic Safety and Efficiency

Opel has overall responsibility for the 1.6 million test kilometers covered

sim^TD project: Results of one of the world’s largest Car-to-X field tests

Weather warning function increases road traffic safety 

         Opel Insignia Sports Tourer - sim^TD test vehicle

The results of one of the world’s largest field tests to enhance traffic safety and efficiency by using vehicle communication (Car-to-X) have now been presented in Frankfurt. In the sim^TD project (Safe Intelligent Mobility – Field Test Germany), Opel joined forces with 17 consortium partners to test the functionality, everyday suitability and efficacy of Car-to-X communication for the first time in real-life conditions. The vehicles in the test were electronically linked to each other and with the infrastructure. This enabled the exchange of information about, for example, weather and road conditions between vehicles, as well as between vehicles and the traffic infrastructure and environment.

Opel Insignia Sports Tourer with integrated Car-to-X technology

Describing the results of the project, Dr. Burkhard Milke, Opel Director Electric/Electronic Engineering, said: “In the field test, led by Opel in liaison with our partners, we were able to prove that traffic behavior can be positively influenced by the sim^TD functions. Traffic safety and efficiency were measurably increased. After a comprehensive survey of the more than 300 test drivers, it is also clear that the added value of Car-to-X technology for safe, relaxed and efficient driving was confirmed. As a result, wide market acceptance of the technology is expected.”

Since 2009, research has been conducted on the conditions necessary for a sustainable increase in traffic efficiency and safety under the project name “Safe and Intelligent Mobility – Field Test Germany” (sim^TD). The test fleet from all manufacturers, launched in 2012, comprised 120 vehicles and three motorcycles, which were all equipped with the same sim^TD technology for scientific comparability. With up to 120,000 test kilometers per week, over 1,650,000 kilometers were covered in more than 41,000 hours of driving during the field test. In addition, driving and traffic simulation tests were also conducted and compared to the real-life results.

Weather warning: An example of best communication networking

Among many other functions, Opel tested a new weather warning feature during the project. “Weather warnings and road condition reports are excellent examples of the connection between Car-to-X communication and the HMI (Human Machine Interface),” says Dr Milke. “They are at the top of drivers’ wish list for future communication systems. With the new generation of infotainment systems now offered in the Opel ADAM and to be presented at the IAA in the new Opel flagship Insignia, the technological foundation has been laid for stronger in-car connectivity with Car-to-X communication. But the concentrated establishment of a corresponding road and traffic infrastructure will be decisive for the commercial deployment of this technology. Opel will continue to play a large role in this.”

The road weather stations located in the field test vicinity, which already provide detailed information – used, for example, by road gritting trucks – communicate with existing vehicle sensors such as the rain sensor to issue warnings on adverse weather conditions. The critical parameters monitored were dew points, road surface temperatures, fog conditions and rainfall. The Human-Machine-Interface, used by all partners in the field test, was developed by DFKI, the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence.

Downloads: simTD technology leaflet (ENG)

                     simTD technology Prospekt (GER)