Volkswagen to offer a new Black Box for their cars to control and be in control your cars features.

Volkswagen plans to sell a little black box in Austria that records trips and tracks the location of a car to gauge European demand for connected-vehicle services.

The DiBox allows the user to access data on the car via a smartphone and is available for new as well as old VW and Audi models, Porsche Holding, Volkswagen’s Salzburg, Austria-based retail unit, said Wednesday in a statement.

The device, which connects to a vehicle’s electronics system, will cost 299 euros ($350), plus an annual subscription fee of 49 euros.

Volkswagen and BMW are among manufacturers developing wireless links for cars to add features that warn other vehicles of traffic jams and ultimately facilitate autonomous driving.

Regulators are also backing the spread of the technology, with the European Union planning to require that new cars be equipped with a system that automatically notifies emergency services after a serious crash.

By offering the DiBox also for older vehicles, “we’re democratizing the connected car,” Alain Favey, the head of Porsche Holding, said in a statement.

Volkswagen has a target of selling 6,000 DiBoxes this year and will eventually offer the device for the automaker’s other brands, said Richard Mieling, a Porsche Holding spokesman.

Together with Telekom Austria, which is supplying some of the technology, the carmaker plans to expand the service to other European markets.

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Big brother is now watching you, especially if you drive this Citroen

CITROËN IS FIRST MANUFACTURER TO FIT INSURANCE ‘BLACK BOX’ AS STANDARD: C1 CONNEXION NOW WITH TELEMATICS & FREE INSURANCE FROM 19

• Citroën is the only manufacturer offering a ‘black box’ solution as standard on a new car
• Standard specification telematics can make new car ownership more affordable for younger drivers
• Citroën C1 Connexion models funded on Elect 3 (PCP) or Elect 4 (Personal Lease) now available with free insurance for drivers aged 19 - 75
• C1 Connexion production increased by 750 cars & new colour introduced

Citroën is creatively turning to technology to reduce the cost of younger buyers owning and insuring a brand new car by fitting its C1 Connexion special edition with a telematics ‘black box’ as standard. The Smartnav system, provided by Trafficmaster, allows Citroën to offer free insurance for the first year of ownership to all eligible drivers from 19 - 75 years of age when the car is funded with Elect 3 or Elect 4 finance.

This new initiative from Citroën means younger drivers can now drive off in a new Citroën C1 1.0i 68 manual 3-door Connexion for just £109 per month plus deposit on Elect 3 finance - complete with free insurance.   

The Citroën insurance included in this offer is free for qualifying young drivers subject to two years No Claims Discount (NCD). Thanks to the fitment of the telematics unit, Citroën is also able to offer heavily discounted cover to drivers with zero or just one year’s NCD. For example a 19 year old with no NCD can insure a new C1 Connexion with Citroën Insurance for just £950.

PREMIUM CONTRIBUTION TABLE
Policyholder NCD in years
Age of youngest named driver when policy starts

NCD	19-20	21-24	25-29	30-39	40-75
0	£950	£750	£500	£500	£250
1	£500	£500	£500	£250	£150
2 or more	£0	£0	£0	£0	£0

Importantly, renewal premiums will be based on the driving behaviour over the first 12 months of ownership. This means that, regardless of the age of the named individuals on the policy, good driving habits will be rewarded with lower insurance premiums in subsequent years.

To meet high sales demand Citroën has increased production of the C1 Connexion special editions. An additional 750 models will be produced and a new body colour - Carlinite Grey - is now available. The Trafficmaster Smartnav system comes as standard at no extra cost.

Citroën’s C1 Connexion is the UK’s first production vehicle to be created in collaboration with Facebook. More than 24,000 members of the public helped to configure the model. Based on the popular C1 1.0i manual in VTR trim, C1 Connexion retains its special edition ‘Scarlet Red’ detailing with characterful design cues including red door mirrors, door handles, speedometer trim, air vents and centre console.

There are two versions of the C1 Connexion special edition, both with standard specification Trafficmaster Smartnav;

VERSION	MRRP OTR
C1 1.0i 68 manual 3-door Connexion (Caldera Black or Carlinite Grey)	£9,820.00
C1 1.0i 68 manual 5-door Connexion (Caldera Black or Carlinite Grey)	£10,170.00

In addition to the insurance offer, customers will also benefit from Trafficmaster’s other telematics services, which are available free of charge for an introductory period. These include;

• Smartnav Routes (either 15 routes or 3 months usage, whichever comes first)
• 3 months Trackstar Stolen Vehicle Tracking
• 3 months Safespeed Camera Alerts
• 12 months Emergency & Breakdown Call