CarPlay marquee feature of new Honda Insight & Lexus UX luxury models

AppleInsider

Honda and Lexus today formally revealed new CarPlay-ready vehicles for the New York International Auto Show, including the former's 2019 Insight hybrid sedan and a completely new Lexus line, the UX compact crossover.

The latest Insight will be available sometime in the early summer, and support both CarPlay and Android Auto via an "available" 8-inch touchscreen interface, Honda said. The car's gas/electric engine should allow it to hit up to 55 miles per gallon in city driving.

The UX will come with CarPlay standard, and also natively support Amazon's Alexa, letting drivers ask questions and play audio, and/or control smarthome accessories assuming their house or apartment is properly connected.

Unusually, the vehicle will be available not just through a purchase or lease but a new "subscription" option. Lexus hasn't elaborated on how that will differentiate from a lease, but details should be announced closer to the UX's December launch date.

CarPlay has become increasingly common on new vehicles, reflecting the popularity of the iPhone and smartphones in general. Last week Lexus' parent company Toyota revealed compatibility for the 2019 Corolla. The Japanese giant was a long-time holdout from the platform.

For Apple, the greatest obstacle to CarPlay adoption has been a lack of support among cheaper cars. Automakers have typically reserved the technology for upgrade packages or mid- to high-end models. BMW is even planning to charge owners $80 per year, abandoning the idea of a one-time payment.

Some other CarPlay-compatible vehicles announced this year include the Acura MDX Sport Hybrid and the 2019 Subaru Ascent. Both are SUVs.

proline

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

Soli

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Mike Wuerthele

Soli said:

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Wouldn't it be great if we got all the information on that in advance? Sure would.

Soli

Mike Wuerthele said:

Soli said:

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Wouldn't it be great if we got all the information on that in advance? Sure would.

There is always that, but you linked to the Honda website. I went through the data and I'd say that it's absolutely wired CarPlay, but I'm just a reader; as a writer, tech authors could state "it appears to only be wired CarPlay."

dws-2

Mike Wuerthele said:

Soli said:

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Wouldn't it be great if we got all the information on that in advance? Sure would.

Ideally, a reporter would ask that question of the manufacturer and report back on the result. If they don't reply, the reporter can write that it is unknown, and attempt to follow up. I realize that time is limited, but good reporting would improve your site, at least for me.

Mike Wuerthele

dws-2 said:

Mike Wuerthele said:

Soli said:

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Wouldn't it be great if we got all the information on that in advance? Sure would.

Ideally, a reporter would ask that question of the manufacturer and report back on the result. If they don't reply, the reporter can write that it is unknown, and attempt to follow up. I realize that time is limited, but good reporting would improve your site, at least for me.

We have asked the question. We said it was CarPlay, and at present, that covers all the bases, wired or wireless.

There is an awful lot of that whole asking questions going on, all the time. Very nearly every piece we write has one question or other posed to the source.

entropys

Details people, a journo covering a whole range of stuff can’t ask every question possible. Those interested in more detail can follow these novel features called hyperlinks.
As it happens whether CarPlay was wireless or not was an important bit for me, so I followed the links (answer is no).

suddenly newton

Some background info on car subscription services:
https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/guide-to-vehicle-subscription-services

DCJ0001

Soli said:

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Wired or wireless is unimportant to me. I like to charge my iPhone while it is plugged into my CarPlay stereo. 

So, wired is fine.

DavidAlGregory

Always love the "available" as in optional.
Car companies are so cheap they make Payday Cash Advance Stores look like models of altruism .

My 2016 VW Golf came with CarPlay standard, yet so-called "luxury" brands like Lexus, BMW and Cadillac want to stick you for it.
Amazing.

proline

Mike Wuerthele said:

Soli said:

proline said:

Pretty much every car has CarPlay now. Wake me up when they support wireless CarPlay (in conjunction with a wireless charging pad so you just throw your phone on the pad and it charges while CarPlay does its thing). 

I don't know why tech writers are so oblivious that they don't thinking noting whether CarPlay is wired or wireless is important. If not the title, the article.

Wouldn't it be great if we got all the information on that in advance? Sure would.

You have made a claim, namely that CarPlay is a “marquee feature”. Do you have any basis for that whatsoever? Marquee means more than just having the basic implementation that other cars have had for three years.