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Over the next five years the number of connected cars on the road will rise significantly, making them a major player in the internet of things according to Gartner.

The research and advisory company has forecasted that one in five vehicles across the world will have a wireless network connection by the year 2020, which will equate to 250 million connected cars.

Connected cars are no longer available for the wealthy, with James F. Hines, research director at Gartner, commenting on how the technology is becoming more commonplace in mid-range vehicles.

“The connected car is already a reality, and in-vehicle wireless connectivity is rapidly expanding from luxury models and premium brands, to high-volume midmarket models,” he said.

“The increased consumption and creation of digital content within the vehicle will drive the need for more sophisticated infotainment systems, creating opportunities for application processors, graphics accelerators, displays and human-machine interface technologies.”

Elsewhere a Harris Poll of US consumers revealed that 90% of respondents were at least somewhat satisfied with their driveable, a stat that shows the market is ready for connected cars.

Compared to the internet of things, connected cars might seem like a small cog but it is an important one. Gartner expects to see 4.9 billion connected things in use in 2015, fa igure that is up 30% from 2014 and due to reach 25 billion by 2020.