We’ve just been handed the keys to the 2016 Volkswagen Golf-R to take for a test drive over the next few days. The whole point is to take a look at Android Auto in this model, but we’re taking it a step further and will be looking at all of the tech inside as well as how it drives and such, in the full review. But for now, we thought we’d bring you a nice hands on post of how Android Auto works in the Volkswagen Golf-R, which is the first model from Volkswagen to feature Android Auto, or even Apple CarPlay to that extent.
Setup is a bit strange. You have to go into the Menu system then select “App Connect” and if your phone is plugged in, you need to find it in the device list and tap on it. After that you go through the regular setup process for Android Auto. We’ll explain this further in another post later on. Once the set-up is done, it’s pretty easy to open up Android Auto in the future. There is a 6.5-inch display in the center console, that actually looks pretty good, I must say. It definitely beats the after-market head unit from Pioneer that I have in my own car. The screen is nice and bright, it’s also touch sensitive, so you don’t need to press too hard on it to jump between apps and such.
It’s still a bit early, but it looks like Android Auto has been integrated quite well into the Volkswagen Golf-R, and it should be the same across Volkswagen’s fleet of cars. The only complaint I have so far is that Android Auto is a bit buried, and normal people won’t be able to find it, unfortunately. With Hyundai’s implementation, there’s a button right there on the home screen that takes you into Android Auto instead of jumping into other menus first. It’ll be interesting to see if Google Maps works better over Volkswagen’s own navigation system, we’ll have to put that to the test over the next few days.
We’ve got the car for a few days, and will be making plenty of videos and content about it. So if you have any questions feel free to shoot them our way!
