Easy link 9.3: first review – Navigation (2/3)

March 5, 2019 Admin

March 5th, 2019

Part 2: Navigation

From the home screen I have a button at the bottom left of the map that allows me to arrive on the screen to search for a destination.

On this screen, I have a global “Google search” search field at the top. At the bottom of the screen, classic options to find an address with the fields “City, street …”, previous destinations, favorites, POI … The position of this field as any smartphone application is not trivial and facilitates the grip.

Global search with a single field uses Google. The system has access to the Google Maps database, which is extremely powerful, especially for finding POIs like restaurants, or going to an airport. For example, you can type CDG and the system will offer the airport Roissy Charles de Gaule. You can also type an excerpt from the address “12 capucine paris” to be offered the “12 boulevard des Capucines in Paris”.

You can therefore directly use this field of research or use the classic menus (address, POI …), to have the choice is very appreciable.

Once the chosen destination, the system calculates the route and proposes several routes directly on the same screen. Finally ! We find the same behavior as the CNC DVD we had at Renault and Nissan in 2005. This behavior is also the one we have in Google Maps. We just have to choose the desired route and we’re off. If no action is chosen, the first route is started after 10 seconds. Studio photo requires, I could not test the system in navigation conditions. With the button at the bottom left you can change the type of view by successive support: 2D North, 2D vehicle, 3D and global view traffic.

This last view is a novelty. The system displays a 2D map with a global view with a representation of the traffic that will immediately remind us of Google Maps. It’s very good to find this familiar sight. The hierarchy of information is very well done and adapts well to the zoom level. The color code of the map is good because we immediately identify the information (unlike the R-Link 2, where small disturbances are indicated in yellow as the roads …). Remember that TomTom provides the maps, the traffic but also additional services such as fuel prices, weather and radar.

On the right side of the screen is an axis showing the various disturbances on the route.

While wandering in the options we notice a “Navigation Navigation” option. In this menu we find 2 options “Activate navigation learning” and “Automatic guidance proposal”. I imagine (I did not have confirmation) that the first option should allow the system to learn our habits and our tastes. If, for example, to go somewhere else you prefer a route, the system should, after a while, borrow it instead of another one. The second option will allow the system to offer you automatically destinations according to the situation: exactly like Google Maps. To test !

When I search for a service station, they automatically appear on the map with fuel prices. It was certainly available on previous systems but in a separate application (paid!), It is directly integrated into the system. A color code identifies the cheapest stations.