Will your phone be the most important part of your car in future?

Tyre pressure monitoring for a Mercedes in the Me app. — Daimler AG/dpa

Manufacturers are letting us control more and more parts of our cars with smartphones. But how much can you really do with a phone and what do networked cars and digital keys add to the everyday driving experience?

The smartphone is becoming an integral part of owning a networked car, allowing users to remotely perform tasks such as monitoring their vehicle's petrol level or checking its mileage.