Seat is introducing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, alongside other infotainment improvements, to its model range.

Models, starting with the New Ibiza Connect and then New Alhambra, Leon MY16 and Toledo MY16, will be available with Full Link, Seat’s three-in-one connectivity solution. 

Encompassing Apple CarPlay for the iPhone user, Android Auto and Mirror-Link for Android devices, the solution is a first in the global car market and is designed to remove fears about current and future compatibility

It also allows users to access many of their phone functions and apps safely on the move. 

The system also includes a new DriveApp, working alongside Full Link to support vehicle maintenance, eco driving guidance, traffic alerts and more. 

The new Ibiza is the first model to benefit from the advanced technology. 

Full Link comes as standard with the Connect infotainment kit, together with a Samsung Galaxy A3 smartphone.

The new system costs £385 on SE models and above and includes an upgraded infotainment system with a 6.5-inch colour touchscreen.

Drivers can benefit from the system’s read-out function, which delivers messages (emails, tweets and Facebook posts), news and social media streams audibly.

Drivers can also use its ‘voice to reply’ function as well as ‘gesture control’ which allows drivers to perform simple actions such as messaging or phone calls with a finger swipe across the car’s infotainment screen, without taking eyes off the road.

DriveApp sends condition-based maintenance alerts to the driver’s smartphone, prompting important regular checks like tyre pressures.

Fitment of the technology begins with the new Ibiza and new Alhambra – launched in the UK later this year – with a roll out to the rest of the range next year.