Apple says there are now more than 500 car models that support CarPlay, and Nissan’s luxury brand Infiniti is the latest (and likely the last significant brand in the US besides Tesla) to add the feature to the 2020 Q50 and Q60 sedans, QX50 crossover, and QX80 SUV.
I had a chance to spend some time with a 2020 Infiniti QX50 and test how the updated InTouch infotainment system and CarPlay—the dual screens that dominate the center of the dashboard—do, and I came 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 a little over $60,000 for the fully loaded Autograph trim. All trims are available with 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 the dual center touchscreen with an 8-inch display on top and a 7-inch display on the bottom is the same across the lineup.
My test vehicle was an all-wheel drive Essential trim, the middle of the five available trims, and it came with the $1,200 “Edition 30” Presence Package that also includes ProASSIST features like distance control, intelligent control, blind spot monitoring, lane departure prevention , and adaptive front lighting. Toss in the upgraded Majestic White paint and some welcome lights and the cargo package, 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 have some prior experience with such a system in the Audi A7. Part of what sets the Infinity apart here, however, is that the hardware buttons have thankfully not been sacrificed in favor of all-screen controls. The bottom screen of the InTouch system is surrounded by hardware controls, including climate controls on the left and right sides and some hardware audio buttons and a knob just below the CD drive.
There are also some quick-access hardware buttons to jump between the main InTouch home screen, the audio screen and the climate screen, while a few digital adjustments like manual fan speed can be made, but almost everything else is accessible through it. Hardware buttons on either side of the screen. Add in the natural initiation of steering wheel controls, and you can achieve a lot by feel alone, which is nice.
The top screen is mainly dedicated to the built-in navigation that’s essential and standard on higher trims and optional on the second-level Luxe trim, and it’s where CarPlay makes an appearance. Even here, Infiniti offers options for interacting with content, supporting both direct touch on the screen and indirect control via a knob and a few buttons on the center console. I generally prefer using touch or voice to interact with ‘CarPlay’ and the built-in navigation system, but it’s nice to have another indirect method available for quick adjustments or for those who prefer it on a more regular basis.
Infiniti’s InTouch software bears some distinct similarities to the brand’s parent company’s NissanConnect infotainment system, which I previously saw in the Leaf and Altima, but it’s enhanced with some higher-end features and of course optimized for dual-display setups.
The audio setup is very similar to the NissanConnect system I’ve used in other vehicles, with a relatively simple layout and a customizable bottom menu bar to set up and quickly access your favorite audio sources. SiriusXM content looks especially good, with colorful channel logos and album art visible on the screen. The interface is a little simpler for terrestrial radio stations, but still offers a clean look with station and song information when available, and support for HD Radio.
Onboard navigation works well with 3D city views, lane guidance, exit signs and various views available to customize the navigation experience, though the overall look could stand to see some modernisation. There is support for street and satellite views, real-time traffic and destinations by Google, providing an improved POI search experience compared to the embedded system’s database. Over-the-air map updates are also available. The overall look of the map isn’t as modern as what you’d see with Apple or Google Maps, for example, but functionally it’s a pretty solid system. Of course, with CarPlay and Android Auto, you won’t even want to use the onboard navigation, but it’s there if you want or need it.
In addition to the dual displays on the center stack, there is a digital display for the driver between a pair of analog gauges. The display offers different views, including speed, audio information, navigation, ProPilot Assist driver assistance features and more, so it can increase the availability of information from various vehicle systems at a glance. A head-up display is standard on the top-end Autograph trim and available as part of a package option on the step-down Sensory trim.
The QX50 includes the usual array of steering wheel controls to access functions such as volume, cruise control, phone calls and more, and the dedicated voice control button does double duty with a short press activating the InTouch voice system and a long press to activate Siri. comes For Siri Eyes Free or CarPlay.
carplay
CarPlay in the 2020 QX50 requires a wired connection, which is a bit unfortunate at a time when more luxury brands including Audi, BMW, and Porsche are supporting wireless CarPlay, and it’s on its way to roll out to more mainstream brands like Ford, GM, and Choice of Fiat Chrysler. Infiniti tells me that wireless CarPlay is coming “in the near future,” but it would have been nice to see it from the start.
Lack of wireless support aside, CarPlay works quite well on the dual-screen intouch system, and native functions like audio and other features are fully visible and accessible on the lower display. The 8-inch top screen provides enough space for the CarPlay interface and everything looks big and bright sitting fairly high on the dashboard so it’s not out of the driver’s line of sight.
I had no problem reaching all parts of the screen to manipulate ‘CarPlay’ via touch, or you can use the control knob on the center console to scroll through the various interface elements and select the one you like.
The flexibility of having dual displays and the redundancy of many of their native system functions really let CarPlay shine, as you don’t really have to worry about moving away from the Infiniti system to access it. Some adjustments will trigger a brief overlay on the CarPlay screen, but otherwise you can change audio, climate and vehicle settings without disrupting the CarPlay experience.
Ports and connections
All QX50 trims are equipped with four USB ports, highlighted by one USB-C and one USB-A on the front of the center console next to the cupholders, and both ports support data connectivity for ‘CarPlay’. The other two ports are charge-only USB-A ports, including one located inside the center console compartment and one behind the console to provide power for backseat passengers.
A downside is the lack of a good place for phone storage, as there’s little space near the front USB port except for a pair of cupholders and a small storage tray that’s not big enough to fit a phone without at least one getting in the way. Storing your phone in the cupholder center console compartment is also an option, but getting in and out of the compartment requires more effort and involves running the USB cable into the compartment, so it would at least be nice to have the USB port inside. Compartment data transfer is supported to keep everything locked inside. Wireless phone charging is not available on any QX50 trim.
Vehicles equipped with onboard navigation include Wi-Fi hotspot functionality for up to seven devices, allowing your passengers to connect to the Internet with a data plan from AT&T.
wrap up
Infiniti may have been late to the CarPlay game, but it’s arrived the hard way in the 2020 QX50, and the Q50, Q60, and QX80, which all have a nearly identical layout with dual displays and many hardware controls. Infiniti has done a good job of building its bones to take NissanConnect infotainment to the next level, and iPhone users will be happy to see CarPlay feature on the dashboard.
The flexibility of the new InTouch system that allows you to interact with the system however you like is fantastic, giving you the choice of touchscreen, hardware buttons, voice and even a control knob. I also like that there’s a bit of future-proofing for the primary USB ports on the front, including one USB-C and one USB-A.
However, there are always a few nits to pick, and the phone storage on the QX50 is one for me. There’s no great place to put your phone when plugged in, and the USB port inside the center console compartment can’t be used for ‘CarPlay’. And with wireless CarPlay quickly becoming more common, especially on luxury brands, it would have been nice to see it included here, but hopefully Infiniti will follow suit and upgrade soon.
The QX50 is definitely a luxury brand, so it’s priced somewhere in the mid-$30K range, roughly on par with the Acura RDX I looked at over a year ago, but a decent one compared to other small luxury crossovers like the Audi Q5 and BMW X3. Its amount is less. With five available trims, there’s a range of price points that can push things to around $50,000, but the good news for iPhone users is that CarPlay is standard on all trims, so you don’t have to jump up a level or two or add one to get it. Alternative packages.