Citroen India has unveiled ‘Cara,’ a groundbreaking digital assistant set to debut in the new Citroen Basalt X. More than just another voice command system, Cara is described as India’s first fully conversational onboard automobile assistant, engineered from the ground up at Stellantis’ technology hub in Bengaluru.
While it was developed for a Citroen model, this advanced AI isn’t limited to the Indian market. It has been designed as a global platform for all brands under the Stellantis umbrella. “If any of our brands across the world want to use Cara on their vehicles, it’s already ready to be configured for that,” confirmed Shailesh Hazela, CEO and Managing Director of Stellantis India. This highlights the significance of the Bengaluru tech hub, which is at the forefront of developing AI and machine learning solutions for Stellantis products worldwide.
A key feature of Cara is its impressive linguistic capability. Having been developed in India, it supports a wide range of regional Indian languages alongside 52 global languages in total, with more to be added over time. Citroen has also added a personal touch, allowing customers to rename the assistant, offering a more customized and intimate user experience.
What Makes Cara Different from Other Digital Assistants?
Today’s vehicles are packed with digital assistants, but Cara aims to merge the best of both worlds: vehicle-based commands and web-connected AI intelligence. Like other systems, it can handle in-car functions such as opening a window or checking the fuel level. However, its true strength lies in its ability to integrate with AI and web services to perform complex tasks.
For instance, a driver could ask Cara if their flight is on time and when they should leave for the airport. The assistant would then access the car’s fuel level, retrieve the airport’s location from a connected phone, check real-time traffic data, and pull up the latest flight status to create a complete journey plan. In a brief demonstration at the launch event, the system proved effective at understanding context and providing accurate information.
Another remarkable feature is its ability to understand human emotion. Hazela noted that if a user speaks in an angry tone, Cara can recognize the distress and adjust its voice to be more soothing and helpful.
Cara will initially be available on the new Basalt but is set to be rolled out across the entire Citroen India portfolio soon, marking a significant step forward in making driving smarter, more intuitive, and deeply personalized.
