Toyota and Lexus models will support Amazon Alexa moving forward
Finally, you’ll be able to interact with an intelligent voice service while driving your Toyota or Lexus! Just not the service you’re thinking of. Today, Toyota announced at CES 2018 that you’ll be able to use Amazon Alexa to connect to more than a thousand third-party smart home products, as part of the Toyota Connected development initiative. “Hooray!” you might think. And if you’ve been waiting for this kind of connectivity in your Toyota, you have reason to celebrate. Select models with Toyota Entune 3.0 or Lexus Enform 2.0 app suites will be able to interact with Alexa in the car. Additional models will get the feature in 2019, although we don’t know at this time which models will be added.
Of course, the big idea behind integrating Amazon Alexa support is that you’ll be able to tie your car in to the rest of your “connected” lifestyle. Did you forget to lock the door? Alexa can help you with that. Maybe turn on your smart thermostat before you get home from work? Yep, that’s done. Toyota is touting this technology as a means by which customers can integrate their homes, offices, phones and cars from pretty much anywhere they drive.
Android Auto/Apple CarPlay Remain Conspicuously Absent
Toyota joins the list of automakers supporting Amazon Alexa. Others include Fiat-Chrysler, Hyundai, Nissan, Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Ford. However, they still are not joining those manufacturers in offering Android Auto or Apple CarPlay support.
The Japanese brand has been one of the notable holdouts in welcoming either Apple or Alphabet, Inc.’s services into their models. At time of writing, those features don’t appear to be on the horizon for your Toyota or Lexus.
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