Vauxhall is launching its OnStar connected vehicle service in the UK this summer with a package which includes a high-speed 4G LTE mobile network, emergency response notification and stolen vehicle recovery technology.

The system will be available in selected models in Vauxhall’s passenger car range from August, as either standard or as a £395 option, and use of the service will be free to customers for the first year.

Once the free 12-month period is over, the OnStar services will cost £79 a year. Prices to continue using a car as a wi-fi hotspot - able to have seven devices connected to it simultaneously - have not been confirmed.

The first all-new Vauxhall to get OnStar will be the Astra which arrives in UK showrooms in October.

“With OnStar, Vauxhall is bringing the latest connectivity technology to a wider audience,” said Tim Tozer, Vauxhall’s chairman and managing director.

“OnStar will make driving safer as well as offering new innovations in infotainment and telematics.

“We are also very pleased to bring the European headquarters to Luton, creating 120 new jobs, joining our head office, Vivaro van plant and UK distribution centre which are already based in the local area."

One example of Onstar's functionality is that if an airbag deploys, OnStar will be automatically alerted and an advisor will then contact the vehicle to determine whether help is required. If there is no response, emergency services are immediately sent to the vehicle.

At a push of an SOS button, OnStar users can request assistance whenever they deem it necessary, for example, if they witness an accident, while the system also includes roadside assistance services.

Smartphone users will be able to connect to their vehicle remotely with an OnStar smartphone app enabling them to:

  • Contact OnStar from anywhere
  • Call up important vehicle data such as oil life or tyre pressure
  • Remotely lock or unlock the car
  • Locate the car online
  • Honk the horn and flash the lights
  • Download destinations to the in-car navigation system
  • Manage the vehicle’s built-in wi-fi hotspot settings

OnStar will also be able to assist vehicle owners and police if a vehicle with the system is stolen. It can locate the vehicle while remote ignition block will allow OnStar to send a remote signal to the vehicle that blocks the engine from starting.

The technology can also provide subscribers with a monthly vehicle diagnostics email with the most important vehicle data and information.

A diagnostics check can be requested at any time at the push of a button.

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