Apple touts that there are now over 500 car models supporting CarPlay, and Nissan`s luxury brand Infiniti is one of the most recent (and perhaps the last significant brand in the U.S. other than Tesla) to add the feature with the 2020 Q50 and Q60 sedans, QX50 crossover, and QX80 SUV.
I`ve had an opportunity to spend some time with a 2020 Infiniti QX50 and check out how the updated InTouch infotainment system and CarPlay work with the dual screens dominating the center of the dashboard, and I`ve come away fairly impressed with the performance and ease of use.
The 2020 QX50 comes in five trim levels starting at $37,250 for the base Pure trim and topping out at a little over $60,000 for a fully loaded Autograph trim. All trims are available with either front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, with the latter costing an extra $2,000. CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all trims, and dual center touchscreens with an 8-inch display on top and a 7-inch display on the bottom are uniform throughout the lineup.
My test vehicle was an all-wheel drive Essential trim, which is the middle of the five available trims, and it came with a $1,200 `Edition 30` appearance package that also bundles in the ProASSIST features such as distance control, intelligent control, blind spot monitoring, lane departure prevention, and adaptive front lighting. Toss in upgraded Majestic White paint and some welcome lighting and cargo packages, and my tester checked in at just under $50,000.
InTouch Hardware and Software
Infiniti is certainly not the only manufacturer to pursue a dual-display infotainment solution, and I`ve had some previous experience with such a system in the Audi A7. Part of what sets Infiniti apart here, however, is that hardware buttons were thankfully not sacrificed in favor of all-screen controls. The lower screen of the InTouch system is surrounded by hardware controls, including climate ...
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