Microsoft is testing an in-car system to rival Apple's CarPlay and Google's Android Auto - and it sounds like Cortana will be the driving force behind it, Digital Spy reports.

The Halo-inspired virtual assistant will apparently be able to display the driver's location directly on the windshield, and will be integrated with a navigation system.

The Windows firm announced at its TechDays conference in Taiwan that the connected car system is in the prototype phase, reports Taipei Times.

Microsoft is yet to confirm when the final product will see the light of day but is said to be in talks with Taiwanese partners to "explore future possibilities".

This is not the first time Microsoft has revealed ambitions to find its way to our cars, demoing its Windows in the Car concept last year.

The Cortana-powered system sounds far more extensive than Windows in the Car, which merely allows Windows Phone users to mirror their display on their dashboard.