More and more automakers are moving away from an analogue instrument cluster and instead embracing high-definition displays to replace them. We’ve seen many versions of this with varying levels of quality, the Range Rover has had it for close to a decade, and more recently we have Audi’s Virtual Cockpit and Mercedes-Benz’s panoramic digital dash.
Cadillac, though, is keen to get into the space and has released a teaser video of their integrated infotainment and instrument cluster display that they will soon be showing off at the this year’s Pebble Beach Concours in Monterey, California.
The new system does look impressive on video and marks a collaborative effort between the automaker and South Korean electronics firm LG. It will be able to tap into the driver’s music and calendar information to provide intelligent navigation and communication abilities.
The screen itself appears to be divided into two distinct areas, with a large expansive panel stretching across two thirds of the car’s dashboard and a smaller display visible to the driver through the steering wheel. Both use OLED technology for inky darks and energy conservation by being able to shut off every unused (black) pixel individually.
The panel, though not evident in the video, could be curved as many high-end televisions and computer monitors made by LG are and are could sport a very high resolution - an essential attribute when it replaces nearly all of the physical buttons of the car as seen in the teaser.
We’ll have to wait until Cadillac reveals the new digital instrument panel in Pebble Beach. No word yet on whether it will be fitted to a new car the they are also planning to reveal there or will there only be a standalone dashboard to show the system off as a proof of concept.
While this is definitely a boon to Cadillac, the larger and more intriguing prospects this new advanced digital instruments portends is how this technology will trickle into other GM-owned brands in the future, such as Chevrolet (ahem...Holden) - or rather, how soon.
