Apple Watch (hadrian/Bigstock.com)

Volkswagen's Internet-enabled 'Car-Net' app will now enable owners of the Apple Watch to open their car doors and monitor the speed and location of their vehicle when it is being used by someone else.

The feature will apply to VW's smart cars, and will also let owners control air conditioning settings.

While the Car-Net service was launched last year, only now can Apple Watch users gain access to the system.

Apple Watches (hadrian/Bigstock.com)

If an owner decides to let someone else drive their car – such as one of their children or a friend – they can receive notifications about where their vehicle is. Other notifications can also be set up for if the car has been speeding, or if it leaves a pre-set area.

In addition, users will be able to locate their car if they have forgotten where they left it. Not only will the app identify the car on a map, it can also make the vehicle's lights and horn sound, to assist identification.

VW follows others such as Elon Musk's Tesla, which has already been rolling out its apps on the Apple Watch.

Beetles, CCs, Eos, Passats, Jettas and Tiguans built in 2014 or later can be connected to the VW Car-Net service, while all Golfs built in 2015 onwards can utilise the system.

As announced at the Consumer Electronics Show last year, VW intends to expand its smart car range. Thanks to the film's MirrorLInk system, phones can be connected to vehicles' built-in screens, and use car software by companies such as Apple and Google.