[exiges]

Seems to me, the buttons on the dash have been distributed with a splatter gun, there's no logic about their grouping/placement.

Personally, I'd prefer push buttons rather than touch sensitive buttons.. often you can press a button by mistake by brushing against it.

I know I keep referring to the Prius, but there's 6 buttons down the left hand side of the nav screen that controls the major functions ( Telephone, Nav, Setup, Radio etc. ) and you can press them without even taking your eye off the road.

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

Almost every time I do anything with the satnav I brush the the buttons and something I dodn't want to do happens aaagh! I really don't like the touch sensitive buttons at all. I thought they were pretty cool before I got the car but they are just a pain. I am kind of getting used to them now but from choice I would have buttons that move.

 

[proddick]

I have got used to the touch buttons and have no issues with them except (not surprisingly) the layout was optimised for LHD.

With regard to the other suggested improvements members are making, please do not get your hopes up that GM will release a major software update for the car - it just doesn't happen in the automobile industry...

I guess improvements in this area is how Vauxhall will temp you to trade in for the new model when it arrives in 2014/5 ;-)

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

With regard to the other suggested improvements members are making, please do not get your hopes up that GM will release a major software update for the car - it just doesn't happen in the automobile industry...

I guess improvements in this area is how Vauxhall will temp you to trade in for the new model when it arrives in 2014/5 ;-)

Well I can't say that is the case. When we bought the Nissan Leaf the software was a bit ropey in many similar ways to the software on the Ampera but Nissan has released several software updates over the past year. The major one changed the satnav system and display, changed the range estimation algorythms to make the range estimate more accurate, changed the Bluetooth implementation... lots of changes.

 

[proddick]

Great to hear Nissan (Japanese) improved the software in the Leaf. Are you really confident that GM (American) will do this in the Ampera?

I will be interest to see a list of software enhancements (not bug fixes) our US cousins have had to early model Volt.

Incidentally, if hold mode is just software and such a great idea why doesn't GM update all US Volts to have it?

 

[Paul_Moxhay]

I don't have much confidence that GM will offer similar updates to those of Nissan, no. In fact, GM have already stated publically that future software updates on later model years will not be available on previous model years... well not for free anyway as there is some suggestions that it might be put out as a chargable upgrade. Nissan haven't taken that line and seem to be offering free software upgrades at the moment.

HOLD mode actually is such a great idea that it is now on new Volts in the US but because of this disinterest in offering upgrades to existing owners it is not being implemented on existing cars.

 

[Duncan]

HOLD mode actually is such a great idea that it is now on new Volts in the US but because of this disinterest in offering upgrades to existing owners it is not being implemented on existing cars.

While I agree GM aren't interested in offering upgrades, in the case of HOLD mode they may actually have a reasonable argument: I think it has been suggested that HOLD mode changes the car emissions pattern sufficiently they would have to put it through regulatory approval again and that would not be worth their while for the 2011/2012 models.

 

[proddick]

Duncan - Good point re emissions.