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BMW and Hyundai are the highest ranked car brands with regard to experience with vehicle technology, according to an inaugural report from J.D. Power.

The Tech Experience Index (TXI) measured car models and manufacturers on collision protection, comfort and convenience, driving assistance, entertainment and connectivity, navigation, and smartphone mirroring. The study found that two BMW cars – the 2 Series for small premium and 4 Series for compact premium – and two Hyundai models – the Genesis for midsize premium and Tucson for small – were top of the class respectively.

According to the research, collision protection was the category with the highest overall satisfaction with a score of 754 on the 1000-point scale, with navigation (687) the lowest scorer. Large cars were the most popular by segment scoring 755, followed by small premium (735), while small (706) was the worst performing.

The research also considered the role of insurance and car dealers in assessing the best technological benefits. If owners are aware they have an in-vehicle technology, it doesn’t mean they will necessarily use it, J.D. Power argues, while as the insurance industry continues to wise up to vehicle safety-related technologies, consumer awareness should go up with it.

“It’s not just how much technology you have in the vehicle, but how well it’s delivered,” said Kristin Kolodge, executive director of driver interaction and HMI research at J.D. Power. “The technology’s usability and how well it is integrated into the vehicle are critical – that has to be done right.”

BMW’s moves in the connected car space have been numerous and well-documented. Alongside the ConnectedDrive app, the German manufacturer, alongside Intel and Mobileye, has launched into a partnership to bring self-driving vehicles to the road by 2021.

Hyundai was a little later to the party, but the Korean firm unveiled its connected car roadmap in April this year, including collaboration with major networking and IT firms to develop a ‘hyper-connected and intelligent car’ concept. The company’s US arm has also been working to utilise Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to its product range.

You can find out more about the report here.