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Inside of SM6 (Renault Samsung Motors) |
Ordering food and receiving it inside your car without reaching for a wallet is the latest fad in the auto industry.
Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors last year introduced “Car Pay” which allows drivers to pay for gas and parking by tapping on a touchpad in their vehicles. It became a popular form of contactless payment as the pandemic drew on.
Renault Samsung Motors unveiled an in-car payment system that can do more in its new XM3 SUV which hit showrooms in June.
Passengers can order food and drinks, pay for and receive them in their XM3 using the system jointly developed with mobility e-commerce platform start-up Owin.
It can be used to order and pay at about 380 GS Caltex gas stations, some 1,000 CU convenience stores and cafes across the country.
By paying a small delivery fee for products purchased using a touch pad on the XM3, passengers can receive the products while in their cars, similar to how existing food delivery apps work.
“The new XM3’s in-car payment system is a more substantial change than the changes in its design,” a Renault Samsung official said, adding the company will continue to increase stores where it can be used.
The XM3 also offers other convenient features using wireless communication.
Drivers can use the “MY Renault Samsung” app to start the vehicle and control the temperature inside the car in advance, a feature that comes in handy on hot or cold days.
Drivers can also use their smartphones to send their destinations beforehand, which will be automatically synchronized when they start the car.
A wide and clear 10.25-inch digital screen on the dashboard shows the maps and directions, which allows the driver to keep looking forward.
A vertical 9.3-inch center display shows all of the information that one needs during driving, and has piano-like switches underneath to control car seat heating and steering wheel heating.
Using its over-the-air (OTA) wireless software upgrade technology, Renault Samsung is installing the in-car payment system in other models such as the new SM6, the Renault Capture and the Renault Zoe.
By Kim So-hyun (
sophie@heraldcorp.com)
