Toyota Entune and hands-on Prius V

By Tim Stevens posted Apr 20 2011 1:26 PM this year at CES we our first sight of the Toyota Entune Infotainment system, and then a week later on the North American International Auto show we have our first close-up look at the larger, hatchbackier Prius V. now, have come together here on the New York International Auto show, the two pieces in a 5-door package. Are the car and the infotainment Suite slated to dealers this summer hit and we continued to try in one of the other. See if you can find out, which is to examine, clicking our impressions.

If you have missed our previous Entune coverage, it is on Toyota's response just like SYNC AppLink, that you control your Smartphone apps by your car. But the approach here is not the same, and it works slightly differently, as it was described also on the CES. With Entune it is a single app, you install device that turns the thing basically on your iPhone, BlackBerry or Android in a data pipe for your car. Main unit of the car then connects to the phone via Bluetooth and suck you data begins.

The "apps" that the car offers are rendered and guided by your phone to the resistive touch screen then really only symbols from a remote server. At the start, we look at Bing search, you are looking for (via text or voice) local sights and then it get driving directions. Pandora is it, as you, would expect along with iHeartRadio, MovieTickets.com and OpenTable. It is the same band we saw a few months back, but Toyota's expected more soon together play.

We have to say we are a little disappointed with are integrated as the apps with the car. Many have speech recognition, but trigger, you have to find and a small microphone button on the press touch screen. There is a "speech" button on the steering wheel, use the hands free calling for the production, but it is integrated with the system. That seems a little regrettable, all entirely dependent on the touch screen. But we are sure that the apps will present interfaces simplified, driver-friendly if you are in the movement to ensure that you Bing not even right in the center divider.

Entune be this summer in the larger Prius V-offered, which by the way actually looks a little to get up close. Entune comes after the Tacoma and Camry before the end of the year, and the rest of the area on the road. It's not expected that additional hardware cost of the service, it contained in the factory navigation option (which by the way UI update has seen a much-needed), but is Toyota not say whether it will be a fee for the use of the service on the road. We all know it is free for the first three years. One more reason to live in the moment.

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