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The New Dacia Sandero: the screen comes out of your pocket

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The smartphone goes everywhere with us. What if it replaced the multimedia screen in our cars? That would be clever! For Dacia, it was an obvious choice, but only if it was fully integrated into the driving experience. This is the spirit in which Media Control was born. Nicolas Legros, Dacia Operational Cross Car Line Director, explains the philosophy and benefits of this system, which makes its debut with the New Dacia Sandero.

PAR MAEVA PICHOT

Taking our smartphone out of our pocket and making it our companion on the road without the hassle of a loose mount on an air conditioning grille? If only it were that easy! At Dacia, they understood this problem. The brand's engineers and designers have combined their talents to meet the challenge and come up with a solution that is clever, economical and in tune with the times.
nicolas legros

Our mission at Dacia is to redefine the essential car. So, we had to find a solution that was clever, simple, and attractive for multimedia. Customer surveys show that Dacia buyers prefer simplicity in this domain. This is an important point that is also echoed by members of the Dacia community. Our engineers and designers have therefore worked together to create Media Control, a system that places our customers' favourite screen - their phone - at the centre of the in-car multimedia experience.

Nicolas Legros,
Dacia Operational Cross Car Line Director

 

 

WHAT IS MEDIA CONTROL?

Media Control is a system which, in addition to the radio, combines a specific housing for the smartphone and a free, customizable application that is easy to use.

Nicolas Legros explains: "Media Control is a complete multimedia system. It includes a radio, two speakers, a USB port, Bluetooth connectivity, steering wheel controls and, above all, a smartphone docking station integrated into the dashboard. From the very beginning of the project, this docking station was truly integrated into the design of the dashboard. A guarantee of comfort and ergonomics for our customers."
home screen media control of dacia ecran

 

Installed in its universal slot in the centre of the New Dacia Sandero's dashboard, and firmly held in place, the smartphone is indeed perfectly integrated into the driving experience. The strategic placement, high up and slightly facing the driver, provides perfect visibility of the information given, ensuring safety. Simply download the Dacia Media Control application onto the smartphone and, thanks to a simple Bluetooth connection, the phone becomes a genuine extension of the dashboard, replacing an integrated multimedia system.
Navigation, radio, music, telephone and even access to vehicle information: all the essential functions are at one’s fingertips and can be activated by voice, thanks to the smartphone's voice recognition.
And when the phone is not in place, the housing disappears into the dashboard.
when the phone is not in place, the housing disappears into the media control dashboard

CLEVER SYSTEM, CLEVER FUNCTIONS

But all this is not enough to make Media Control a 100% smart multimedia system. Thanks to the customizable application, the system also adapts to the needs of each user and even connects to the vehicle's on-board computer.

It is thus possible to create shortcuts to favourite widgets, favourite applications and even to frequent contacts. For navigation, there is a wide choice of map and guidance providers. When it comes to multimedia, it's à la carte: radio, playlists from the phone, subscriptions to music platforms, USB sticks or MP3 players. For the phone, in addition to calls, all the essential functions are there: hands-free mode to find a contact in the phonebook, consult the history or access the events planned in the calendar. On Android, and soon on iOS, the SMS function even reads messages aloud. On the vehicle side, the Driving ECO function gives access to real-time fuel consumption and personalized driving tips at the end of each journey.
Once arrived at destination, the dizzy ones will appreciate the forgotten phone alert and the 'Go To My Car' function, which makes it easy to find their parking spot.
Nicolas Legros who sums it up best "Media Control brings the best of smartphone technology to the driving experience."

IT COULDN'T BE SIMPLER

The simplicity of the system lies in its ergonomics. Thanks to the optimal positioning of the docking station for the smartphone, everything is easily accessible with a few clicks. The application is intuitive, with a user interface that allows efficient and fluid navigation through the menus.

The replication of the actions performed on the smartphone in the central screen of the dashboard makes it even easier to get to grips with the system. Finally, the steering wheel controls make it easy to control the application to change tracks, radio stations, vary the volume or even answer or hang up calls. And for added convenience and safety, the voice command of the smartphone is there.
media control Dacia Sandero

 

In short, the Media Control system is well thought out! An essential feature. A customizable interface. Intuitive to use. And all with the best value for money on the market. "The embodiment of the brand's DNA applied to multimedia", to quote Nicolas Legros, ticking all the boxes of the Dacia spirit. It's simple, practical, and clever. It's Dacia.

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