North Texas

Automakers Turn to Technology to Bring in New Sales

Manufacturers say millennials are one of the biggest age groups buying cars. They're now starting to focus more on technology to grab that group and give them a reason to buy a new set of wheels.

If you're in the market for a new car, there's no doubt the salesmen will tell you about Wi-Fi availability.

General Motors has added many high-tech features to their model lineups to try to get more millennials to give GM a try.

"Everybody needs to be connected at all times, so wherever they're going they need to make sure they have it," said Joseph Mitrani with General Motors.

It's a free feature on GM but an extra charge on some other cars. It gives riders a connection to the internet where you can connect iPads and other electronics.

But it's not really Wi-Fi like the lightning fast wireless internet you get a home.

"It says 4G LTE internet connection. That's not Wi-Fi that's data. The speed you're getting is going to be 4G LTE," Mitrani said.

It's a mobile hotspot. You don't need a new car for that, as most smart phones can do the same thing. You can even buy a portable hotspot from your cellphone provider.

You are paying for that data, too, just like you do on your cellphone, but GM came out with an unlimited plan for $20 per month.

GM, Honda and some other car makers are also using carplay where you connect your cellphone to your car. The home screen on your phone is now projected onto the car screen. It lets you use navigation, maps and hands-free texting all from the power of your phone.

You can easily use the power of your phone in your car without having to pay for or learn a new system. It's all free and included on many car models from manufacturers like Honda and GM.

The cars also have a wireless charging feature for your phone, but you still have to plug the device in to connect the phone to the car for navigation and texting.

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