iPad apps – Automotive brands: Winter 2010

Apple iPad hit the US stores in April 2010 and the landscape of digital experience shifted. The expectation definitely shifted in a big way: It’s not enough to have a website and a mobile application anymore for a brand to be cool, hip or technologically superior, especially if you are a brand that prides itself on technological advancement, such as an automotive brand.

Since I try to diligently keep up with digital trends for myself, my company—Squeaky Wheel Media—and my clients, I keep a lookout on the general trends in industries my clients are in, including the automotive industry for Lexus. Here’s my roundup on what iPad apps are out there in the automotive industry, starting with luxury automotive brands:

Audi — A8 Experience & Car Magazine

The Audi A8 Experience iPad app is an interactive brochure with built-in virtual tour of the exterior and interior. The app allows you to build and price your own custom A8 and  read the latest news & reviews. You can also take the iPad to your local Audi dealer to unlock even more content.

Don’t forget Audi Magazine iPad app, which TheNextWeb gushes about (see Audi Unleashes A 500-Horsepower iPad Magazine). The app is Flipboard-like, allowing you to drag, enlarge, slide… basically slosh the content around however you want.

No wonder it was gushed over even by non-car enthusiasts.

BMW Magazine

The BMW Magazine iPad app is glossy magazine with interactive features that pack a pretty powerful punch. Yes, it lets you read the articles and does it with ease and fluidity. Yes, it has full-screen videos that lets you hear the engine purrs along. But it goes beyond simple magazine reading; it lets you play. User can play with some of the cars and even finger paint one of BMW’s famous Art Cars.1

BMW doesn’t forget that its car and drivers who love them are part of a certain lifestyle. The app lets you utilize the car navigation feature, guiding you to a restaurant featured in the app’s travel article. Now that’s neat.

Other notables in the luxury automotive brands?

These three iPad apps are just brochures or lifestyle magazines but boy, do they know how to make you look with: Beautiful photography, attractive layout & typography… anything to make the product truly shines.

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Now I’m rounding up signature brands in general automotive arena who I still believe always push for better and smarter:

VW — Volkswagen Das

True to its DNA, Volkswagen Das iPad app is an interactive magazine with “zing!” It makes full use of iPad’s native ‘swipe’, ‘tap’ and ‘touch’ interface so users can browse the 360-degree car views, videos and articles, as well as utilize certain interactive features created to highlight a VW model featured in the issue (e.g. a feature to test the ascent angle of the new Touareg in the Summer 2010 issue).

“DAS. is an important building block in Volkswagen’s digital marketing strategy and gives us the opportunity for an interactive dialog with our customers. Our goal is to transmit the fascination of the brand and its products in a new digital dimension, creating a global experience,” Luca de Meo, Head of Marketing at the Volkswagen Passenger Cars brand, said at the launch of the iPad app.2

I know VW lovers are fanatical about their VW and I hope they’re happy with the app. I personally love the different design styles between different magazine issues but hey, I don’t own a VW.

Jeep — 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee

The 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee iPad app is basically a touch-based brochure for the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee mode. Continuing with its “The things we make, make us” campaign, the app houses designer interviews, product spec sheets, photo gallery and the story of how the things we make, make us. It also integrates the Jeep brand website, dealer locator, Facebook pages, YouTube channel, etc.

MINI TV

I have to admit, I was really excited when I heard about MINI TV iPad app. Well, I was pretty disappointed. No Flipboard-y swipe, no cool doodats.

I understand it is called MINI TV app so it’s more like a YouTube channel. But MINI never “just” does something; all the stuff it did was always above expectation, so when this app delivers exactly what it said, über disappointed.

Sorry, MINI. You need to do Version 2.0.

Honda — The Honda CR-Z Experience for iPad

The Honda CR-Z Experience is basically an interactive brochure of the all-new CR-Z Sport Hybrid from Honda. The app comes with multi-dimensional views, hot spots, customizable colors and an interface optimized for touching, tapping and swiping. The CR-Z fans seem very happy and the app lets them learn more about their vehicle than they would on the website.

Ford — 2011 Ford Fiesta

The latest newcomer into the iPad app for automotive brands, the 2011 Ford Fiesta iPad app is pretty standard: Exterior and interior 360, videos, locate dealership, etc. One nifty little feature I like is the body graphic, aka tattoo for your car skin.

UPDATE (1.11.2011):

Hyundai — Equus iPad Owner Experience

The latest addition in the automotive iPad race is this beautifully done iPad Equus app by Hyundai, which 16GB WiFi iPad comes standard with every Hyundai Equus as a complete Owner’s Manual, providing its owner with “everything you need to know about this exceptional vehicle is literally at your fingertips.”

The app is beautifully done, with user interactivity that takes full advantage of iPad’s native touch feature to showcase the Equus model.  The iPad app offers many features that other auto-maker should take note of: 3D vehicle walk-around, videos of various interior configurations (e.g. reclining “First Class” rear seats with leg-rests) and interactive demonstrations of vehicle safety features (e.g. directional headlights). It even offers what looks to be something of a driving game.

Packaged in a bespoke leather case with an embossed logo, suede interior, and even kickstand, now that’s what I call a proper iPad app!

Conclusion:

That sums it up for now. There are more out there but we’re just starting, the apps mostly are still version 1.0,  so I’ll keep my eyes open and catch cool ones for the next industry roundup. And with the iPad 2 looming in the horizon, it will be interesting to see how any of apps will take advantage of its 3-axis gyroscope.

Of course we’re not leaving out our client, Lexus. Something is definitely in the works. (Wink!)

p.s. Thanks, PadGadget and TheNextWeb, for being such an awesome resource!

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1PadGadget: Updated BMW Car Magazine Hits the iPad App Store
2PadGadget: Volkswagen Launches iPad App