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Infiniti finally adds Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for 2020

Infiniti is finally bringing Apple CarPlay and Android Auto into its 2020 model year lineup. The capability comes via the company’s next generation of Infiniti infotainment systems it announced today. ItÂ’s still called Infiniti InTouch and uses the same dual-screen setup, but the smartphone connection capability is completely new. Previous to this announcement, no Infinitis supported either Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, even the recently redesigned QX50 crossover. The Japanese luxury brand has been one of the last holdouts in terms of smartphone connectivity. Almost every 2020 Infiniti will gain the next-gen software for the 2020 model year — the QX60 is the only model that wonÂ’t get it. The next-gen InTouch system is also capable of being a Wi-Fi hotspot for as many as seven devices, so your gang of QX80 passengers can all be on Wi-Fi. Maps for the navigation system are also improved. A 3D city view was added in addition to Google Street satellite imagery. Infiniti says pairing your phone via Bluetooth will be easier, as it has streamlined the interface and adopted a new Bluetooth module and faster processor. Infiniti also promises more stability in the phoneÂ’s pairing to the car on account of the new Bluetooth module. WeÂ’ll note that Infiniti chose to go with a wired Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connection. Others like BMW, Audi and Ford (just announced) are going the wireless route, with mixed success. The two connectivity features will also be standard. If you're considering an Infiniti and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are important to you (it probably should be), then waiting for 2020 is a good idea. 

Infiniti Synaptiq concept 'spinal lock attachment' makes you one with your car

The theme of this year's LA Design Challenge is "Sensing the future" and asks, "How will cars interact with us in 2029?" Infiniti has kicked off entries in the LA Auto Show's yearly visionary party with its low, wide and versatile Synaptiq concept. Less a car and more of a set of interlocking pieces, the Synaptiq is termed a "universal fuselage pod," a teardrop-shaped capsule with a liquid-crystal canopy that can be fitted to different propulsion devices: a Formula One-like chassis, a desert buggy rig and a jet airframe.
Yet it answers the challenge not by being able to fly through deserts and air, but with its human-machine interface. The driver/pilot wears a Synaptic S.U.I.T. (Symbiotic User Interface Technology) fitted with biometric sensors and synthetic muscles, and through a "spinal lock attachment," he or she is made one with the car.
You gaze upon its gewgaws in the gallery above, and read more about it and other concepts from Acura, CALTY, Honda, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Peterbilt, Qoros, Subaru and Volkswagen that will vie for the King of the Future title at next week's LA Auto Show.

Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.