SEAT has launched a unique satellite navigation system that recognises where the car is to use regional accents that make its driver feel more at home.
The SEAT Media Audio Technology (SMART) tailors its instructions to the area where the car is. So, a SMART-equipped car in East London might say: "Awright geezer, it's straight on at these lights, innit?"
In the West Country, the same instruction would be spoken in a Bristolian lilt: "Now then lovely, it's straight on at the lights, mind."
The SMART system lets drivers experience a variety of different regional British accents as they travel on longer journeys. Alternatively, the driver can set the system to use only one accent, though SMART always gives directions for the final 10 miles of any trip in the relevant regional accent. This means a driver arriving in Glasgow from London would hear: "Aye right, you've made it at last then, eh? Ya numpty."
SEAT has also linked the SMART system to the car's ECU, so it knows when routine maintenance has been carried out. For instance, SMART will comment after the wipers have been changed: "Raining again. Glad you got those wipers changed now, aren't you?"
British SEAT buyers will be the first to be offered the SMART system. Mike Orford, West Midlands-born SEAT Head of Press and PR, garbled: "This new SMART technology is bostin man! It's, loik, great an' ar can't wait to gie it a goo meself."
Alisdair Suttie - 1 Apr 2011