Apple CarPlay finally comes to Nissan
New Nissan AIVI infotainment system comes to LEAF and Navara; QASHQAI will be nextApple CarPlay and Android Auto have been available in cars for years, allowing drivers to safely, conveniently and lawfully access the most important functions of a smartphone via their vehicle’s multimedia system.
However, many auto brands still don’t offer the handy phone-mirroring technology in their Australian vehicles, including Toyota – at least until late this year.
The latest mainstream brand to do so is Nissan, which introduces Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity for the first as part of a new Alliance In-Vehicle Infotainment (AIVI) system that will eventually be rolled out across all Nissan, Renault and Mitsubishi models.
The first Nissan Australia model to come with AIVI is the 2019 Series 4 Nissan Navara, which was released on July 1.
In the MY19 Navara, AIVI brings a redesigned user interface via a bigger new 8.0-inch colour touch-screen (pictured) that replaces the 5.0-inch screen in MY18 SL variants and the 7.0-inch display in MY18 ST and ST-X variants.
Standard in all MY19 Navara King Cab and Dual Cab models, the system includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity (via USB cable, not wirelessly), plus Siri (Apple) and Google Assistant voice-recognition via Bluetooth.
However, Nissan’s new AIVI infotainment system replaces the CD player and is unavailable in single-cab Navara models, while base SL variants no longer offer embedded satellite-navigation.
The second Nissan Australia model to bring AIVI (and therefore Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) was the all-new Nissan LEAF, which was released last Friday (July 12).
While the Nissan GT-R and 370Z – Nissan Australia’s only other passenger models – are unlikely to offer the device-mirroring tech in their current generations, carsales understands the next model to do so will be the facelifted QASHQAI small SUV.
First released Down Under in mid-2014 and then facelifted for the MY18 model launched here in late 2017, the popular but ageing small SUV will receive another update locally in February 2020.
Apart from revised front-end styling courtesy of a new grille, fog lights and LED headlights, plus new tail-lights and 19-inch wheels -- as previewed at the 2019 Chicago motor show in February -- the 2020 Nissan QASHQAI should bring tech upgrades including AIVI with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
The second-generation Nissan JUKE, which is about to make its global debut, should follow suit when it arrives here around mid-2020.
At that point the only Nissan Australia models still without Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be the X-TRAIL, Pathfinder and Patrol SUVs.
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