Jaguar Land Rover announced Tuesday Amazon Alexa will be available on all Jaguar and Land Rover models equipped with the Pivi Pro infotainment system.
The added feature will also be made available to more than 200,000 existing owners of compatible models via software-over-the-air updates at no cost. Update notifications are sent to owners through on-screen messages on the Pivi Pro touchscreen.
“Alexa is always getting smarter, new features and capabilities will be added over time and delivered to their vehicles automatically,” said Christian Mentz, head of Alexa Automotive International.
This now allows JLR customers that “Alexa, navigate me home,” or “Alexa show me nearby coffee shops” using their voice, not the infotainment touchscreen.
For those with Jaguar and Land Rover models with the older Touch Pro infotainment system, Remote Skill for Alexa allows you to tell a Alexa-enabled device “ask Jaguar to check my range,” or “ask Jaguar to start the climate.”
Some luxury OEMs offer built-in Alexa
If you’re looking for a new vehicle with Amazon Alexa, Amazon offers a list, but it’s not up-to-date or accurate. All Lincoln models have it, but Amazon’s list of models is out of date, while Genesis is not listed at all despite offering it for years.
Still, Lexus offers it across its line-up, as does Cadillac, Infiniti, Lucid, Karma, Genesis, Mercedes-Benz, Maserati, Volvo and Alfa Romeo. Others, such as Acura, Audi, Lamborghini and BMW, offer it on some models but not all.
And other “luxury” automakers don’t offer this convenience, including Porsche, Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Tesla, even though you can get it on a Toyota Corolla.
Be careful what you ask for
While Alexa owners might be excited about having Alexa in their car, a 2018 Consumer Reports test of the software found it clunkier to use than Apple CarPlay and other apps. It only uses voice commands; there is no onscreen interface.
Like Alexa for your home, you can ask it to do such tasks such as adjust your home’s temperature, turn on the lights or open the garage door — although your luxury vehicle most likely is equipped with Homelink buttons to do that last task. You’ll have to decide whether it’s worth it or not, as many in-car infotainment systems already allow you to use voice commands to get turn-by-turn directions, make phone calls, or stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks while you’re driving the car.
And keep in mind that cars with built-in Alexa usually require an active telematics service, often offered with a free trial period, after which you must pay a monthly subscription fee — just what we all need, another monthly subscription.
But Jaguar and Land Rover customers won’t be left out.
“The fact we can also offer this new feature to existing customers proves the value of our software-over-the-air-updates,” added Alex Heslop, director of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Jaguar Land Rover.