If you think about it, your car really is just one giant gadget, so it’s no surprise that the rush for dashboard dominance is shifting into high gear. While automakers are working to turn your next vehicle into an extension of your smartphone, consumer tech giants like Apple and Google are racing over which company will end up in the driver’s seat.

Apple recently unveiled CarPlay to mirror specific iPhone functions onto the dashboard of certain cars, just a few months after Google called “shotgun” to make Android the in-car platform of choice with Automotive Link. There’s also MirrorLink, a one-size-fits-all multimedia interface in development thanks to a collaboration of certain automakers and mobile companies.

But the path General Motors is taking could be a more direct route. Rather than turning your car into something that simply syncs with your mobile device, GM’s latest take is that your car is your mobile device. New models coming out this summer can be equipped with new connected-car technology that transforms your car into a giant Wi-Fi hotspot with high-speed 4G LTE, and an AppShop built-in.

At this week’s SXSW Festival in Austin, Texas, I went for the first hands-on test-drive of a 2014 Chevrolet Impala with a beta version of the new tech embedded in the dash. Over two days time, I zoomed, dodged, braked, and idled in the infamous festival traffic. While the final version of the technology is still being ironed out, the experience felt like something right out of a scene from that old 80’s show, Knight Rider. Remember Kitt — the talking, thinking, almost human robot car? That’s what this is like, minus the snarky attitude.

When you get in, there’s a tablet-sized center console with a vivid touchscreen front and center. Just like your iPad, a king-sized mobile gadget is nothing without the apps that make it cool. When the first cars sporting this new tech roll out, drivers will have access to built-in apps like Priceline to find a bargain on a hotel, Weather.com for the all-important road trip forecast, and the just-announced streaming music service from Beats.

Navigating this display is both intuitive and easy to master — specifically designed for safe use while on the road — so you needn’t worry about tapping through complicated menus at a stop light. In fact, you can use your voice to work all of the commands, or tap the OnStar button to talk with a real person for help on the go.

One safety feature of note; you can’t use the keyboard when the car’s in gear. After all, the whole idea is to take smartphones out of people’s hands when they’re driving, and keep their eyes on the road. That doesn’t mean that a driver couldn’t still text and drive with their smartphone, but it’s a step in the right direction. This roving Wi-Fi on wheels also allows passengers to connect up to seven devices at one time.

It looks like Chevy will launch with about a dozen native apps, which is a far cry from the thousands that you access through iTunes or the Google Play stores. Chevy says that they will continue to update their AppShop with downloadable programs that people can install just as they would on their iPhone or Android device. The GM platform is open to developers, and as we’ve seen with smartphones and tablets, there’s a seemingly neverending flow of possibilities. At launch, all apps are free, but as the selection grows, I’m sure we’ll see premium and paid apps pop up as well.

According to Chevy, the AppShop and 4G LTE will be available on select new 2015 vehicles sporting the MyLink infotainment system. This means that new Impala, Malibu Volt, Silverado, and Corvette owners will be the first to experience this version of the future of connected cars. There’s no word on pricing just yet, though we’re told that if the car comes equipped with 4G LTE, you can activate a data plan and have an always-on connection that also doubles as a mobile hotspot. If you use AT&T, you’ll be able to add a vehicle as an additional device on a MobileShare plan. Or, you’ll be able to choose your own data plan.

So what do you think? Are you ready for your car to be as intelligent as your smartphone? Be sure to let us know.

Tags: apps, chevys, mobile, smart car, tech now, transportation, usa today

Posted in In The Press, TechNow, Top tech news