Toyota used the Consumer Electronics Show to reveal its new Entune multimedia system which will begin rolling into “select” models starting later this year. The automaker’s new take on advancing the in-vehicle driver-connectivity benchmark, Entune claims to have both the largest number of mobile apps and industry-leading advanced conversational voice recognition capabilities.
Like Ford’s SYNC and virtually all subsequent in-car systems, Toyota Entune leverages the capabilities of the driver’s paired smartphone. However, according to Jon Bucci, vice president of the Advanced Technology Department at Toyota, Entune integrates the use the conversational voice and recognition and the vehicle’s controls in a way that yields a new level of user friendliness and simplicity, including wireless downloads of its own system software updates.
Highlights of Entune’s mobil apps roster include Microsoft’s Bing search engine, Clear Channel’s iheartradio, Pandora, MovieTickets.com and OpenTable.com. Entune also will deliver a host of customizable real-time data streams for traffic, weather, stocks, fuel prices and sports. It also integrates with Toyota’s Safety Connect telematics setup to provide features like Automatic Collision notification, Stolen Vehicle Location Assistance, Emergency Assistance, and Roadside Assistance on select Toyota models.
The standard audio system on Entune-equipped vehicles will be a full- featured AM/FM/CD entertainment and communication package that also includes XM radio, HD Radio, USB connectivity, Bluetooth streaming and a phonebook. Toyota says it will offer Entune in conjunction with an optional premium JBL sound system.
