For Ralph V. Gilles, “connectivity” is all about trying to make cars and consumers life partners.
The Global Head of Design for FCA says cars these days are full of data that can anticipate consumer needs, and turn a potential hassle into a more seamless experience. Gilles uses the example of a vehicle alerting the driver for service.
“There’s a brave new world. We’re dabbling in it now but I’m just going to forecast it,” says Gilles, the morning keynote speaker at the 2016 CADA Summit.
Gilles will talk about the technologies and trends shaping connectivity right now, along with those that will come into play in the future — like autonomous vehicles.
In order for consumers to connect with their vehicles, they need to understand the increasingly complex technologies.
“There’s a lot of features we include in the car that are lost on the customer, so that’s where some of the discussion is headed — how to make the interface more seamless, more enjoyable, less threatening and at the same time add value to the vehicle,” says Gilles.
That’s where dealers come in, says Gilles. He says the role of the dealer is going to become more important than ever by helping to educate customers about all of the features in their vehicles.
“It’s not about the sale as much as ‘what can the car do for me?,” says Gilles.
Visit: www.cadasummit.ca for the full agenda.
TD Auto Finance is the exclusive sponsor of the CADA Summit, to be held Feb. 10 at the Omni King Edward Hotel in Toronto. The Canadian Automobile Dealers Association are the hosts and organizers of the annual event.
CADA Summit organizers have announced that the 2016 CADA Summit has officially sold out.
Canadian auto dealer will be onsite conducting interviews and will be livestreaming some of them. Visit www.canadianautodealer.ca to access the live videos from the event.
Check out the Canadian auto dealer Twitter page @autodealermag and follow @CdnAutoCADA for updates throughout the day. Use #CADASummit to share your event experiences.
Look for exclusive coverage of the 2016 CADA Summit in the March issue of Canadian auto dealer magazine.
