Mini Adds New Infotainment Options, Debuts In Geneva

Mini will debut a more advanced in-car entertainment technology, which they called ‘Mini Connected’ at the 2010 Geneva motor show. The new in-cabin information display features will be optional on the Countryman SUV. Mini Connected’s new USB interface is optimized for those who have iPhones, but non-iPhone users should benefit from the new system, too.

Once your iPhone is connected to the Mini’s system, a center console-mounted joystick can be used for controlling what’s shown in the high-resolution color display seen in these photos. Mini claims the operating structure will allow drivers to easily get the system to do what they want with minimal distraction while driving.

The iPhone interface allows “a huge range of infotainment, navigation and communication functions to be used on board the vehicle,” Mini says. The system can also be personalized by the driver.

The coolest feature is the the Web radio function, which gives the driver and passengers a choice of Web radio stations to stream in the car. This means that, in the near future, you’ll have six different audio options in a fully optioned Mini (AM/FM radio, CD, satellite radio, HD radio, MP3 player, Web radio).