Infiniti Plans New Infotainment System, but It’s Not Due Until 2021

Meanwhile, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are due next year.

byStephen Edelstein|
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It may make car enthusiasts sad, but the fact is that a good infotainment system can score points with consumers just as well as a properly-sorted chassis. So in tandem with the development of more electrified models, Infiniti is giving its infotainment systems an overhaul.

The Nissan luxury brand will roll out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto next year, followed by the launch of an all-new infotainment system in 2021, Infiniti product strategy vice president Francois Bancon told Australia's GoAuto at the Australian launch of the refreshed QX80.

The new system, due in 2021, will keep the unorthodox dual-screen arrangement of current Infiniti infotainment systems. Bancon said that, while journalists have criticized the setup, customer feedback has been positive. The current system splits functions between two stacked screens, which admittedly allows for more screen space without creating too much dashboard clutter.

It's worth noting that Jaguar Land Rover is adopting a dual-screen setup with its InControl Touch Pro Duo system, which is used in the Land Rover Range Rover Velar and Jaguar I-Pace. This allowed JLR to eliminate a swath of analog controls, moving their functions to the screens. It's possible that this is the direction Infiniti is heading as well.

Bancon said system responsiveness, screen definition, and connectivity will be improved. Infiniti is taking its time rolling out the new system because "it's not a small change," he said.

The launch of the new infotainment system will coincide with Infiniti's ambitious electrification push. Beginning in 2021, the automaker will offer a hybrid or all-electric version of every model in its lineup. By 2022, Infiniti will have at least two all-electric models, parent Nissan has said. Nissan wants to sell 1 million hybrids and electric cars a year by 2022, a total that includes Infiniti models.

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