Mazda Connected Services confirmed for Australia

Mazda Australia has confirmed it’ll launch connected services for selected vehicles in 2024.

The service – confirmed for the updated MX-5 due in early 2024 – will be enabled in Australia in the first half of next year.

“The MX-5 becomes the first Mazda in the Australian range to support Connected Services functionality, which can connect the vehicle to the emergency services to dispatch an ambulance in case of an accident and allow vehicle status to be checked via a smartphone app,” said Mazda Australia.

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Additional vehicles supporting Mazda Connected Services are expected to be announced later, potentially including the yet-to-be-revealed CX-80 premium SUV and imminent updates for the CX-30 and CX-5, ahead of a wider roll-out across Mazda’s line-up.

A Mazda Australia spokesperson said further details on the Connected Services roll-out will be confirmed “from Q1 next year”.

In the United States, Canada and Japan, the ‘MyMazda’ smartphone application allows owners to find their vehicle, remote start, lock and unlock, activate the hazard lights, or honk the horn. It also provides an overview of the vehicle’s fuel or battery level, oil level, odometer reading, and status alerts including malfunction information.

For electrified vehicles such as the MX-30 EV and CX-90 PHEV, the application also allows owners to remotely stop a charging session and set the climate control to pre-condition the cabin.

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Destinations can be sent to vehicles with built-in satellite navigation. An in-car WiFi hotspot and over-the-air software updates are also available, but it is unclear if this will be offered in Australia.

The roll-out of Mazda Connected Services in Australia follows similar services becoming available from Toyota, Ford, Hyundai, Kia and Honda in recent years.

Toyota Connected Services, launched in 2020, has similar functions. It operates on a subscription model with a 12-month or three-year complimentary period, depending on the vehicle.

Hyundai, Kia and Honda offer connected services free of charge for a vehicle’s warranty length, at seven years for Kia and five years for Hyundai and Honda.

FordPass Connect is free for the life of the modem, according to Ford Australia. However, connected traffic updates are only available for three years.

The push for connected technology in mainstream vehicles follows luxury brands BMW and Mercedes-Benz, with ‘My BMW’ and ‘Mercedes me connect’ available on vehicles dating back to 2014.

Electric vehicle manufacturer Tesla offers connectivity, allowing drivers to stream music and video, view satellite maps and live traffic updates, browse the internet, and perform karaoke while driving – for $9.99 per month, as part of its Premium Connectivity subscription.

Under now-defunct Holden, US car giant General Motors launched its optional OnStar telematics system in Australia with Holden Assist branding in the early 2000s, offering similar features to the connected services offered today.

It was discontinued by 2009 due to low take-up and poor network connectivity in Australia at the time.