That’s not stopping Buick from bringing its vehicles up to the level of others in the segment, and the luxury brand has announced that IntelliLink connectivity will be standard on every 2013 Buick model. To ensure owners understand how to use the system, live support from Buick’s Customer and Relationship Service (CARS) can provide one-on-one guidance.
IntelliLink, which debuted on the 2012 Buick Verano, is meant to reduce driver distractions by allowing voice-guided commands for frequent actions. If you’re streaming music from Pandora internet radio from your phone, a voice command is all it takes to change your preferred station.
Saying “more like this” while listening to a USB-connected media device will automatically create a “Genius style” playlist of songs with similar musical DNA. Songs played on SiriusXM satellite radio can be tagged by artist or song name, which will notify the driver if the song or artist is played on another channel.
Vehicles equipped with SiriusXM Travel Link will allow drivers to get local weather updates, check nearby gas prices and even check movie show times at local theaters. If your Buick is equipped with both navigation and Travel Link, you can even map the quickest route to your selected destination, like the shop with the cheapest gas.
To keep things simple, a “Quick Info” icon allows users to access the most used features, like SiriusXM Travel Link, audio settings, turn-by-turn guided navigation and call transfer from car to phone.
In regards to both IntelliLink and CARS, Buick’s U.S. vice president of sales and service, Brian Sweeney, said, “Our next generation infotainment customer will demand a higher level of service, support and solutions due to their interactive technical experience. This is one more way that we are working to deliver an exceptional customer service experience.”
In other words, Buick has learned from mistakes made by other vehicle manufacturers, and is looking to make new technology as pain-free as possible for Buick owners.