Viofo A329S dashcam review: New three-channel king of the road?

One of my favourite dashcam brands, Viofo, has launched a new model. Only, I've just unboxed it and I'm not sure it's all that different.

It's the Viofo A329S, and I'm still getting on well with the A329, which I reviewed last year. But this one looks identical.

Looking at the specs, side by side, it has the same resolution, the same viewing angle, and the same storage space.

It's not as if it has any new smart features, either. There's no speed camera alerts, no driver warnings, and no cloud support.

So why then, it left me wondering, should it cost around £30 more than Viofo A329? And then I dug a little deeper into the specs.

Firstly, perhaps most unremarkably, there's a modified parking mode. Yawn. It's basically more efficient, so will put less load on your battery but, annoyingly, if you're upgrading from a 329 to a 329S you'll need to buy a new hardwire kit to capitalise on this new tech. And that's £26.

More usefully, there's now an option to upgrade the package to a three-channel setup, and that's very handy for people who want overall coverage of their car. The first channel (camera) is the dashcam, the second channel watches out behind you, and a third camera in a three-channel setup monitors the interior.

This is nothing new in the world of premium dashcams, but it's great to see Viofo adding this capability to its flagship. There's even the option of waterproof cameras should you want to mount them to an exterior panel - useful for vans and trucks, for example.

And then there's the best new feature of the lot. Multiplex video. This is a really clever system that compiles all the footage from all three channels into one feed, so there's no need to edit the footage together if you want to share it. A powerful processor has already done it for you.

You could argue this is only of any use if you want a multi-channel dashcam, and you'd be right to. But that really is the A329S's key strength, it's new three-channel system. And the multiplex video makes it one of the most usable on the market.

It's important to note, this isn't Viofo's first foray into three channel setups, lesser models have had this capability, but this is the first time for the flagship.

And the flagship is still the weapon of choice if you want a money-no-object dashcam, because it has a 4K, 60FPS sensor with Sony Starvis 2 technology, and that really is as good as it gets in terms of recording quality.

The only other hang up, for most people, will be the price. The A329S at launch has been discounted by £30, but it's still £330. And that's just the one-channel version with no accessories. Add in a hardwire cable, remote, and MicroSD card and you're getting into the realms of the "pretty bloomin' expensive".

Opt for three channels, add in luxuries like waterproofing and telephoto lenses and, even with the launch discounts, you're knocking on the door of £500.

And the truth is there are Viofo models out there with three channels, decent sensors, and even competent parking modes that cost less.

But the A329S doesn't cost a lot more than its predecessor, and the improvements are welcomed and well judged. So it's worth the upgrade.

Only, that is, if you're about to make the mental leap of spending nigh-on £500 on a dashcam. If you do, you'll be buying one of the best - if not the best - dashcams on the market, all things considered.

And while the A329S isn't a giant leap forward over the 329, it's an improvement. And in this context that counts for a lot.