While many automakers choose to develop voice recognition technology in-house, Lamborghini formed a partnership with Amazon to fully integrate Alexa into the raucous, mid-engined Huracan Evo, a model it released in 2019. The first Amazon Alexa-equipped Lamborghini model made its debut during CES 2020, and it is due in showrooms by the end of the year.
Even a brand like Lamborghini, which has historically peddled horsepower, can’t afford to ignore connectivity. Amazon Alexa integration complements the Huracan’s new infotainment system, which Digital Trends called sharp, quick, and gorgeous, and it lets the driver perform a wide array of functions while keeping both hands on the wheel, and both eyes on the road — or the race track. Alexa adjusts the climate control system, turns the heated seats on and off, cranks the radio up or down (which is good, because there’s no volume knob), and flicks on the interior lighting, among other functions.
The technology is woven directly into the Huracan’s infotainment system, so it bridges the gap between car and house. It’s possible to turn on the oven or dim the living room lights by asking Alexa while lapping Laguna Seca. The list of cars compatible with Amazon Alexa grows annually, but none take integration as far as the Huracan. The technology has its limits, though; motorists notably won’t be able to ask Alexa to switch between the driving modes, an Amazon spokesperson told Digital Trends, and the Huracan only understands voice commands when it is connected to the internet. Offline capabilities could be added later as Amazon and Lamborghini seek areas of improvement.
You might need to speak up when talking to Alexa while driving flat-out. The Huracan Evo’s heart is a naturally-aspirated, 5.2-liter V10 engine that beats a few inches behind the front passengers. It channels 640 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque to the four wheels via a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. On a race track, those figures translate to a 2.9-second sprint from zero to 62 mph, and a top speed north of 200 mph. Lamborghini announced it will cater to motorists more concerned with agility than grip by releasing a rear-wheel-drive variant of the Evo in early 2020 to replace the tail-happy 580-2 Digital Trends hailed as the firm’s most engaging and driver-focused car.
Every member of the Huracan family will be available with Amazon Alexa compatibility by the end of 2020. Lamborghini told Digital Trends the feature will come standard. While nothing is official yet, it’s reasonable to assume the company’s future models — including its hotly-anticipated, hybrid-powered next-gen flagship — will receive Amazon Alexa, too.
The two unlikely partners want to deepen their ties in the coming years. The first step in a strategic collaboration with Amazon, the specially enhanced Human Machine Interface (HMI) system will allow continuous updating of Alexa’s functionality within Lamborghini models, and paves the way for future cooperation between the two companies: “Both companies are working to develop further connectivity innovations and integration with Amazon Web Services (AWS),” Lamborghini wrote in a statement. Digital Trends expects other automakers will follow its lead.
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