Johannesburg - Subaru has taken another huge step towards the always-online 'connected car' with the introduction of a dual camera system for video and image recording and image sharing.
Now your car can interact directly with Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat, posting instant social media updates without you ever having to take a hand off the wheel.
In addition to Siri Eyes Free, available across its 2016 model range, every Subaru will now come with a forward facing nine-megapixel camera mounted on the rear-view mirror, as well as its reversing camera, linked to dedicated new controls on the multifunction steering wheel.
You can capture high-definition images and videos in either direction, preview them on the car's infotainment display, dictate a message to accompany them to using the car's voice recognition command system and share them, using four new functions:
Camera Select- which switches from the front to the rear camera
S#- Shares to Twitter
I- Shares to Instagram
S- Shares to Snapchat
The car's infotainment system allows you to set up social media accounts so that images and text can be shared "on the fly" without you lifting your heads off the wheel - all it needs is a smartphone or tablet to be paired for internet connectivity via Bluetooth.
In light of studies highlighting the risk associated with social media engagement while driving, project chief engineer Ai Lai said: "With the growing trend of dash cam capturing and social media usage while driving, we looked for a safer and more responsible way drivers to stay focused while sharing images and videos of their experiences with social fans and followers."
The dual-camera system will be available on all Subaru models sold in South Africa from 1 April, as part of the Subaru April Fools Imaginative campaign.