Lexus has announced that it will be bringing Apple CarPlay to its 2019 ES sedan, one of the last upscale car brands to gain support for Apple’s in-car platform. Notably, the new Lexus model won’t be getting support for Android Auto, although Alexa voice control is also being included, with features that will allow you to issue commands to your car from Alexa devices inside your home.
Toyota has long been the lone holdout among major car manufacturers in adopting CarPlay, with the company only bringing support for Apple’s in-dash integration to its 2018 lineup, and obviously delaying into 2019 for its premium brand.
The standard ES configuration will include a typical eight-inch display, but buyers opting for the navigation package get an ultra-wide 12.3-inch screen, providing room for extra apps on the CarPlay UI — making it among the first stock CarPlay implementations to offer widescreen support; oddly, however, it seems the system won’t support a touchscreen, instead requiring users to interact with the system through the Remote Touch Interface (RTI) trackpad. Notably, there also appears to be no support for wireless CarPlay.
The nav package also includes in-car Wi-Fi, powered by an integrated Verizon hotspot, and there’s a updated pre-collision detection system that can detect cyclists, and both traditional gasoline-powered and hybrid models are expected to be available. Pricing hasn’t yet been announced, but the new model is expected to reach dealerships in September.
