Autoblog

2013 Toyota Venza priced from $27,700*

Zach Bowman — Tue, 29 May 2012 10:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Crossover, Toyota

Toyota has announced official pricing on the company's 2013 Venza. Buyers can look forward to laying down $27,700 for the refreshed crossover, excluding any destination fees. That marks an increase of $275 over last year for the base, front-wheel drive LE model equipped with a 2.7-liter four-cylinder engine. Meanwhile, the XLE trim will carry a price tag of $29,775, or $1,585 more than the the 2012 model. Limited guise has also seen a jump of $955 to $36,465. Toyota unveiled the revised Venza at this year's New York Auto Show, where the family hauler bowed with a redesigned front fascia marked with by a more restrained grille, new headlamp arrays and fog lamp bezels.

Similarly, the Venza now wears a few updates to the sideview mirrors and tail lamps. Indoors, buyers can expect to find the cabin largely untouched, though new steering wheel buttons are along for the ride. Consumers may also opt for the company's clever Entune phone app integration system.

The first 2013 Venza models should be trickling into dealers nationwide as you read this. Check out the full press release below for more details.

Continue reading 2013 Toyota Venza priced from $27,700*

2013 Toyota Venza priced from $27,700* originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 29 May 2012 10:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:32:00 EST

Filed under: Hybrid, Technology, Videos, Toyota

Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V - Click above to watch the video after the jump

Toyota will be launching its new Entune infotainment system later this year - a product that pairs with a customer's Internet- and Bluetooth-equipped smartphone to bring a host of applications right into the car's navigation screen. Entune is the Japanese automaker's answer to Ford's SYNC system, and we recently had the chance to get a first-hand look at Toyota's latest creation inside of the upcoming 2012 Prius V.

Entune made its official debut at CES back in January, combining functional apps like Bing search and real-time XM information (traffic, weather, fuel prices, sports and stocks) with entertainment features like Pandora and iHeartRadio. What's more, Entune adds restaurant booking capability via OpenTable and allows you to research movie times through MovieTickets.com. Of course, there's a slate of safety features like collision notification and roadside assistance, similar to those found in Lexus' Enform system.

We sat down inside the 2012 Prius V with Toyota's corporate manager for advanced technology, Jim Pisz, to see exactly how Entune works. Pisz tells us that the Prius V will be the first Toyota vehicle to feature Entune, but that we will likely see it spread to higher-volume models like the Camry and Tacoma by the end of the year.

In all, Entune looks to be a pretty slick system. The touch-screen display is easy to navigate, though it isn't as visually appealing as the Blue Oval's MyFord Touch. See a full walk-through of Entune for yourself in the video after the jump. As an added bonus, click here to see an Entune hands-on from our friends at Engadget, as well.

Editor's Note: Because Entune pairs to a smartphone, if there's a lengthy loss of signal at any time, that will cause Entune to become temporarily unresponsive. This happened during our preview outside of New York's Plaza Hotel, and thus, the video begins after Pisz restarted the system.

Gallery: Toyota Entune

[Lead image: Steven J. Ewing/AOL]

Continue reading Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V

Autoblog checks out Toyota Entune inside the 2012 Prius V originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 27 Apr 2011 12:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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CES 2011: Toyota Entune ready to fight Ford's SYNC... almost [w/video]

Damon Lavrinc — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:01:00 EST

Filed under: CES, Technology, Toyota

Toyota Entune - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's been nearly four years since Ford and Microsoft introduced SYNC to the world, and since then nearly every major OEM has been playing catch-up - including the planet's largest automaker. For Toyota, that ends today with the introduction of Entune, a new integrated multimedia system that uses the driver's Net-enabled and Bluetooth-equipped smartphone.

For anyone familiar with SYNC or the Connected systems recently introduced by BMW and Mini, the list of available applications and features includes the usual suspects. Entune comes equipped with search functionality provided by Bing, along with streaming audio from Pandora and iheartradio, restaurant booking through OpenTable and show times and ticket purchasing through MovieTickets.com. Real time traffic, weather conditions, fuel prices, sports scores and stocks are all user-customizable, while Bing Maps handles navigation duties and a text-to-speech system reads off text messages.

Additionally, Toyota has equipped Entune with a new voice recognition technology which the automaker claims is one of the most advanced conversational systems on the market. Entune also integrates with Toyota's existing Safety Connect telematics system, which handles everything from collision notification to roadside assistance.

As for availability, Toyota is only saying that Entune will work with "most smartphones and feature phones" and will be coming to select vehicles later this year. We'll be pumping Toyota's reps for more information when we hit the ground in Vegas later this week, and expect our first impressions of the systems soon. In the meantime, hit the jump for the official details and a 1999-rendered animation of the Entune in action.

Gallery: Toyota Entune

Continue reading CES 2011: Toyota Entune ready to fight Ford's SYNC... almost [w/video]

CES 2011: Toyota Entune ready to fight Ford's SYNC... almost [w/video] originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Jan 2011 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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