skoda connect - worth it?

[Gabi4]

 

13 hours ago, westie38 said:

Strange how you're car missed out on the SOS button etc, mine was built 20/11/2017 (registered 01/2018) and has the three overhead buttons.

Also mine has and it was built in a similar period as yours.

[StEdmund]

45 minutes ago, Gabi4 said:

 

Also mine has and it was built in a similar period as yours.

 

My SEL was built Sept '18 (i.e. MY 2019), and I can't see a SOS button.

[Guest]

Took delivery of my Edition in December 2019 and that has no SOS button. And I'm looking at autotrader and can't find any 69/20 plate Edition with an SOS button.

 

According to the configurator, SOS button only comes with Care Connect 3yr which is a £400 option.

 

I think the confusion comes from a couple of misleading earlier posts.  I believe the functionality/protocol of SOS was standardised in 2018 ( I'm guessing so as the emergency services only have to speak one language ) , but there is no mandatory requirement for it to be fitted to vehicles. Very few new cars come with an SOS button.

 

 

 

Edited 14 April, 2020 by Guest

[silver1011]

On 14/04/2020 at 21:41, Scot5 said:

I think the confusion comes from a couple of misleading earlier posts.  I believe the functionality/protocol of SOS was standardised in 2018 ( I'm guessing so as the emergency services only have to speak one language ) , but there is no mandatory requirement for it to be fitted to vehicles. Very few new cars come with an SOS button.

 

I'm not sure which posts you believe to be misleading.

 

The current stance is clear, the ability for the vehicle to utilise an inbuilt eCall device, which in the event of an accident detects the change in speed and whether the airbag has been inflated became mandatory from March 2018 (in Europe only, make of that what you will). It sends data to emergency services, like the vehicle’s exact location, the direction the car was travelling in, how many passengers were on board, what kind of fuel the car runs on and it's Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

 

The absence of the button does not mean the system isn't fitted, it might simply be Skoda removing the option for an occupant of the vehicle to activate the system themselves via a button and/or to remove the ability for the emergency services or call centre to speak to the occupants.

 

It is expensive to fit, one of the reasons the legislation was brought in, vehicle manufacturers were reluctant to fit it themselves. Skoda might simply be looking to fit the minimum / most basic system required to meet the legislation, whilst offering the other historically standard features (i.e. the button) as a factory cost option. This is a common occurrence as time goes by after the implementation date of new legislation as the manufacturers gain a better understanding / clarity of what is required, and what their customers want.

 

It isn't just the SOS button that is now absent on later builds, the 'report a breakdown' and 'report an issue with Skoda Connect' buttons are also absent, all now nicely rolled into a factory cost option in order to pass the cost of this feature to the customer, if they deem it necessary.

 

The best way to confirm definitively if the system is fitted on those cars without the SOS button would be to fire off a quick email to Skoda UK customer services and asking them to confirm either way...

 

 

https://www.skoda.co.uk/discover/contact-us

[westie38]

The beauty of having the buttons - if that’s the right phrase, is that if you should come across an incident, by pressing one button you can call for assistance, even if it doesn’t involve you and you haven’t a clue where you are - as silver1011 says above.

I’m glad I got my car when I did with the tech it has, before much longer even glass and seats will become ‘extras’.

[Guest]

4 hours ago, silver1011 said:

 

I'm not sure which posts you believe to be misleading.

 

The current stance is clear,

 

Clear?  If it was clear then their would have been no need to ask the question.

[silver1011]

Which question?

 

Is Skoda Connect worth it, or where is my SOS button?

 

Saying the stance is clear was in reference to the legislation around the fitting of eCall, but you omitted that bit when quoting my post.

[GladysFriday]

I've had a reply from Skoda Customer service regarding this:

 

"Following on from your email. I have been in contact with our Technical Team and they have advised that the SOS module needs to be fitted from the factory along with an embedded SIM card which can not be retrofitted.
Your vehicle will not have an automatic SOS calling system if you do not have the overhead SOS button. I hope this helps."

 

[silver1011]

Thanks for the update @GladysFriday, it seems Skoda were keen to omit the feature for as long as possible before the mandatory implementation date, probably to save costs...

[CJJE]

I rejected the option of paying £400 for Skoda Connect for my new Karoq Sportline, both because I wasn't sure that it was worth it, but also because the Amendsen infotainment system didn't have a Sim card slot so it would have to be sticking out dangerously from the USB socket on the Stick thingy. 

 

But I've now just read at https://www.carscoops.com/2020/06/skoda-superb-karoq-and-kodiaq-getting-new-infotainment-tech/ (and also on Skoda UK's Media Tweet feed) that :

 

"Skoda’s latest infotainment tech is making its way into the Superb, Karoq and Kodiaq for the start of the 2021 model year. The systems are based on the VW Group’s third-generation infotainment matrix and allow for more custom vehicle settings than ever before.

 

Novelties include the Laura digital voice assistant, Internet radio and wireless SmartLink tech, online personalization and more.

You also get modern USB-C sockets instead of older USB-A ports, while a USB-C slot above the rear-view mirror can be had as an optional extra.

 

Thanks to a built-in SIM card, all Skoda infotainment systems (aside from the entry-level 6.5-inch touchscreen one) are to feature a permanent Internet connection. The Laura digital assistant meanwhile can understand as many as 15 languages and can process “fluently spoken sentences in Czech, English, German, French, Italian and Spanish.

 

Apps include news and weather reports, while customers that opt for the top of the range Columbus navigation will get a 9.2-inch screen instead of an 8-inch one. Furthermore, your destination can now be transferred directly from the Skoda Connect app to the sat-nav system.

 

With the online personalization option, you can transfer your Skoda Connect account settings to different Skoda models, so buying a new car doesn’t have to mean starting back over with setting everything up. A maximum of 14 owner profiles and one guest profile can be had per each car – so you can have your Virtual Cockpit layout, assistance systems, climate control and light settings just the way you want.

As for the Scala and the Kamiq, they’ll be getting expanded infotainment features too, plus the optional USB-C port built into the roof above the rear-view mirror."

 

So this seems to be another update for the MY21 cars, and may be adding in what used to be a £400 option?

 

[33q]

In a moment of lockdown weakness I ordered The Skoda Connect subscription. 

 

I have also also installed the Skoda Connect app and My Skoda app. I have a permanent mifi in the car. 

 

I cannot get any features to work properly except sending a destination. Even Health check fails!

 

Has anybody had any success with this feature?  Car is a September 2018 build. 

[CJJE]

Update:

 

Glad I didn't spend £400 on the option when I specced a MY20 Karoq... as it's now included for free on MY21 Karoqs! The eCall is provided for life on an inbuilt SIM, the Proactive Services (to report accidents or breakdowns, book a service etc) is free for 10 years, and the Remote Access and Infotainment Services are free for the 1st year. 

 

But it's not clear how you update the satnav without buying the Infotainment Service? Does the MIB3 Amendsen still use an SD card to store the maps? There's no mention of it in the new owners manual which only talks about online updates or via a dealer 😞 Certainly there doesn't seem to be an SD card slot for music files - the manual only talks about accessing media files via Bluetooth or USC-C. 

 

Chris 

[cogggo]

Interesting to read the comments on here.

I was somewhat surprised to see Skoda actually charge for the contest system after 12 months.

My previous car was a ford puma and Ford connect is free of charge and much much more user friendly than the Skoda system.

I see one of the apps used for the Skoda has been discontinued from December 2020 and not replaced with anything else as far as I can see.

All in all the connect system is the biggest disappointment of my Skoda Karoq purchase along with the 19" wheels and low profile tyres!

[CJJE]

For MY21 Karoqs at least:

- the eCall service is free for the life of the car.

- the Proactive Service (Info Call, Breakdown Call, Automatic Accident Call, & Service Sceduling) is free for 10 years.

- the Infotainment Online Service (Parking Spaces & Prices, Petrol Prices, Online Map Updates, Online Traffic Information, Online Route Calculations & Online Route Imports) is free for first year and then chargeable.

- the Remote Access Service (Parking Position, Honk & Flash, Speed Notifications, Area Notifications, Driving Data & Lock/Unlock) is free for first year and then chargeable - but some of these are free via a Connect Lite dongle.

 

The 2 Skoda phone apps have been merged into a single app - My Skoda - although some information about your car such as when it was built has been lost.

 

I'm surprised by your comparison with Ford though as a friend of mine who wanted to update the maps in his Escort was told by his dealer that it couldn't be done, and Ford wanted him to buy a new car rather than going on using his once it was 2 or 3 years old!

 

Chris 

[StEdmund]

On 06/01/2021 at 14:15, CJJE said:

I'm surprised by your comparison with Ford though as a friend of mine who wanted to update the maps in his Escort was told by his dealer that it couldn't be done, and Ford wanted him to buy a new car rather than going on using his once it was 2 or 3 years old!

 

 

Is this really so surprising when the last Ford Escorts were made in 2002?

[CJJE]

27 minutes ago, StEdmund said:

 

Is this really so surprising when the last Ford Escorts were made in 2002?

Sorry my mistake. I meant Focus of course.

[StEdmund]

"Sorry my mistake. I meant Focus of course."

 

I guessed that's what it might be; I meant to add a smiley 

[cogggo]

Thanks CJJE for your very helpful reply

[Dyrnog]

I had a 2016 Focus and the maps were on an SD card in the middle console, update was about £70 from Ford and £40 ish from ebay for an SD card. I just used google maps

[Karoqster]

On 07/01/2021 at 01:15, CJJE said:

For MY21 Karoqs at least:

- the eCall service is free for the life of the car.

- the Proactive Service (Info Call, Breakdown Call, Automatic Accident Call, & Service Sceduling) is free for 10 years.

- the Infotainment Online Service (Parking Spaces & Prices, Petrol Prices, Online Map Updates, Online Traffic Information, Online Route Calculations & Online Route Imports) is free for first year and then chargeable.

- the Remote Access Service (Parking Position, Honk & Flash, Speed Notifications, Area Notifications, Driving Data & Lock/Unlock) is free for first year and then chargeable - but some of these are free via a Connect Lite dongle.

 

The 2 Skoda phone apps have been merged into a single app - My Skoda - although some information about your car such as when it was built has been lost.

 

I'm surprised by your comparison with Ford though as a friend of mine who wanted to update the maps in his Escort was told by his dealer that it couldn't be done, and Ford wanted him to buy a new car rather than going on using his once it was 2 or 3 years old!

 

Chris 

 

Except if you live in Australia, then you get none of it. I have a MY21 Karoq Sportline with both available option packs and the MIBS 3 Columbus package.

No Skoda connect, no sos, no info call, no breakdown call, no traffic reports, no internet radio, nothing.

The app will only let you book a service or plan a trip.

[BoxerBoy]

Received my renewal notice today.

 

I’ll be saying  “No Thanks”.

 

Again.

 

I just have no need for it at all so money better spent elsewhere.

 

[SAL_III]

£36 for the remote access, so you can get notifications when your alarm is triggered, especially if you don't park right next to home isn't too bad

[Slick91]

Wouldn't waste your money! Let's say you've left it unlocked, well you'd be mistaken to think you could lock it using the app but you can watch it get driven off!

[vegit8]

Here’s a question...

I have driver personalisation, which means that the car sync’s my settings (seat position, dash settings etc) to Skoda’s servers along with SWMBO’s. Each time one of us unlocks / locks the car.

Will this feature stop working once the Skoda connect expires?

 

[Breezy_Pete]

Are you sure those settings are stored remotely? Seems more probable to me that they would be stored within car or keys.