Toyota to adopt SDL system

Toyota has opted to use the latest in-dash touch screen interface originally developed by Ford to connect smartphone apps to its cars dashboards, ignoring both Google’s Android and Apple’s CarPlay. On the eve of the annual Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Toyota said, it looks to Ford for Dashboard software phone and app connectivity. Car companies, are reluctant to hand over control of the in-car experience to software giants like  Apple and Google for fear of losing control  and exclusivity.

Two smartphone platform leaders have been developing idiot proof ways to connect their devices to cars, providing features like voice control, driving directions and music more user friendly.

Ford has raced to create standard for connected cars by releasing its rival technology, SmartDeviceLink, as open-source software three years ago, which wraps many in-vehicle services and mobile proxy interfaces including manging the physical discovery and logical transport connection to a mobile device application and provide interface tor applications to understand the capabilities of an in-vehicle head unit. Toyota is the first carmaker to adopt SDL to customise in-car connectivity without relying on neither Apple or Google. QNX software systems and UIEvolution, two leading car software suppliers said they would support SDL in their future products. Support from larger number of car  manufacturers will boost SDL’s competitiveness among the app makers. Both Spotify and IHeartRadio have already integrated voice commands and dashboard controls for SDL.

Ford however, apart from their SDL , are also offering alternative link  to both CarPlay and Android Auto.