Google has significantly increased the footprint of its Android Auto in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) system this week by expanding the platform into 18 additional countries, as part of its update to version 1.6. The updated version doesn’t strike us as being particularly groundbreaking, but the global expansion is the significant news here. Android Auto launched back in June 2014, when it was originally available in 11 countries, and the latest v1.6 now brings its total presence to 29 countries. This expansion is largely in South America, but also includes a handful in Europe and, most notably, the booming car industries of India, Brazil, and Russia. The majority of cars manufactured in these markets won’t initially be Android Auto compatible, but this…