If you’re purchasing your next vehicle based on whether it has Android Auto or not, then you can cross any Toyota vehicle out of the list. Toyota is one of the small percentage of auto manufacturers who have opted out in implementing CarPlay or Android Auto as an additional infotainment in its vehicles. Instead, the company has been persistent in forcing its own Entune infotainment system – a very-well hated system – to their users. This has created the speculation that the auto manufacturer have steered away from implementing Android Auto or CarPlay in order to sell additional features in their own infotainment system such as GPS.
Apparently, these type of speculations are not true at all, according to Toyota Avalon’s Executive Program Manager Mark DeJongh. The reason why the car manufacturer is not adding Android Auto in its vehicles it due to privacy concerns from Google. “We’re a conservative company and we wanted to make sure everything was okay,” said DeJongh during a Toyota first-drive event this week. “We wanted to protect our customers privacy. We strongly believe in our stance and in what we’re doing,” he continued.
One reason to believe the Executive Program Manager over the speculations is because Toyota will be adding Apple CarPlay in their vehicle starting next year with the 2019 Toyota Avalon.
Two words: Apple. CarPlay. Finally, we know… #NAIAS #Avalon pic.twitter.com/FbKDVyZHz9
— Toyota USA (@Toyota) January 15, 2018
(Via Motor1)