For one, you can expect over-the-air firmware updates to provide a steady stream of improvements. As with an increasing number of rival brands, you won't have to struggle to keep your car current. The underlying architecture is also billed as five times faster than before, and can handle screens up to 12.3 inches across at up to 15 megapixels (greater than 4K). And if you like voice control, there's a new recognition engine that supports natural voice commands with a "hey Chrysler" keyword.

You can expect wider support for many creature comforts. It brings built-in Alexa support, support for pairing two phones at once and wider compatibility with wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (100 percent of North American cars). Navigation will come from TomTom, which will supply traffic data, EV charger features and other services in an upgraded system that offers easier search, last-mile walking directions and over-the-air map updates.

Uconnect 5 will show up in vehicles later in 2020, although Fiat Chrysler hasn't said which ones will get first dibs. This will be a crucial improvement wherever it shows up, at least. In addition to acknowledging that cars are increasingly connected, the Android platform should help Fiat Chrysler transition to electric and hybrid cars, where this kind of modern interface is absolutely vital.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.