Toyota and Lexus Finally Confirm Apple CarPlay for 2019 Models

Toyota this week announced the upcoming availability of its stunning, 2019 Avalon sedan — poised to be the company’s first automobile boasting support for Apple’s CarPlay as a standard option — at the 2018 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan.

CarPlay compatibility will be available on all 2019 Avalon trim levels along with a range of other, to-be-determined Toyota and Lexus models — via the Japanese auto giant’s proprietary Entune 3.0 and Enform 2.0 multimedia systems.

What Is Entune 3.0?

Toyota’s exclusive Entune 3.0 system is currently available on select 2018 Camry and Sienna models, however those systems will unfortunately go without a CarPlay-enabling upgrade, the company confirmed in its press release, while adding that it’s still finalizing details on which of its other 2019 models will be graced with support for Apple’s infotainment system.

According to Toyota, its Entune 3.0 system already boasts a number of advanced features including “Safety Connect and Service Connect with a 3-year trial period, Remote Connect with a 6-month trial, Wi-Fi Connect Powered by Verizon trial with up to 2GB within 6 months,” as well as a comprehensive App Suite to help manage it all.

Its revamped Entune 3.0 system will reportedly feature a massive, 9-inch capacitive touchscreen, while offering its own slate of powerful features including advanced voice and gesture recognition, a “quick refresh rate”, and even support for Toyota Remote Connect — allowing smartwatch integration and/or “Amazon Alexa-enabled device connectivity,” the company said.

Interestingly, despite Entune 3.0’s inbuilt Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options, Toyota noted in its press release that the system will only sync with iPhone via a wired (USB) connection.

CarPlay is also coming to select Lexus models, Toyota said, and will be facilitated by the luxury brand’s proprietary Enform 2.0 multimedia system available exclusively in the United States.

Toyota’s Opposition

Despite its 2014 designation as a “committed CarPlay partner” on Apple’s website, Toyota has from the get-go been an opponent of the tech giant’s iPhone powered  infotainment system, indicating as of February 2015 that it “has no imminent plans” to adopt the platform.

“We may all eventually wind up there, but right now we prefer to use our in-house proprietary platforms for those kinds of functions,” Toyota said at the time.

At one point, Toyota was so opposed to CarPlay it even joined the ‘SmartDeviceLink Consortium’, banding together with rivals Ford, Mazda and others to create and deploy SmartDeviceLink — a so-called “open source multimedia system” designed in collaboration with Livio to rival CarPlay and Android Auto.

Despite the opposition, with this week’s announcement Toyota is finally joining the likes of its rivals, including BMW, Audi, Fiat/Chrysler, General Motors, Honda and so many others, in embracing CarPlay as the gold standard in vehicular infotainment.