Some 2018 Lexus Vehicles Eligible for $199 Software Update to Add CarPlay Support

Lexus recently announced that it is bringing CarPlay to some older vehicles, following the launch of ‌CarPlay‌ in new 2019 Lexus vehicles last September.

‌CarPlay‌ can be installed in the 2018 LS, LC, RC, RC F, and NX, and as pointed out by iPhone in Canada, the new ‌CarPlay‌ options are available in both the U.S. and Canada.

lexuscarplay
According to Lexus, 2018 and 2019 vehicles equipped with a Lexus Multimedia System can have an enhancement installed that adds ‌CarPlay‌ compatibility along with support for Alexa. A full list of eligible vehicles is below:

  • 2018 LS
  • 2018 LC
  • 2018 RC and RC F
  • 2018 NX
  • 2019 NX (produced before October 2018)
  • 2019 RC F (produced before October 2018)
  • 2019 ES, without factory navigation (purchased before October 2018)

Lexus says that it is "pleased" to offer the software enhancement for $199, and Lexus owners who are interested should contact their Lexus dealer for more information.

Lexus says that new software will be installed on the Lexus Multimedia System to add the ‌CarPlay‌ feature, and a Lexus dealer is required to install the update.

‌CarPlay‌ is already available in select 2019 Lexus vehicles including the 2019 UX crossover and the 2019 Lexus ES.

Lexus and parent company Toyota were among some of the last major car manufacturers to introduce support for ‌CarPlay‌, instead supporting the SmartDeviceLink platform from Ford and Livio.

The wide availability of ‌CarPlay‌ spurred Toyota to reverse course and support Apple's platform after all, and the first 2019 Toyota and Lexus vehicles with ‌CarPlay‌ were announced in early 2018.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Apple Announces iOS 18.2 Launching Today With These New Features

Wednesday December 11, 2024 5:23 am PST by
Apple has announced that iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 will be released today following more than six weeks of beta testing. For the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models, the update introduces additional Apple Intelligence features, including Genmoji for creating custom emoji, Image Playground and Image Wand for generating images, and ChatGPT integration for Siri. There is also ...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds Second Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

Monday December 9, 2024 10:06 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the first RCs. The first iOS 18.2 RC had a build number of 22C150, while the second RC's build number is 22C151. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a ...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb 3

iPhone SE 4 Said to Feature 48MP Rear Lens, 12MP TrueDepth Camera

Monday December 9, 2024 4:48 am PST by
Apple's forthcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front, according to details revealed in a new Korean supply chain report. ET News reports that Korea-based LG Innotek is the main supplier of the front and rear camera modules for the more budget-friendly ~$400 device, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

MacBook Pros With OLED Displays Won't Have a Notch, Roadmap Shows

Monday December 9, 2024 7:36 am PST by
Apple plans to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro in a few years from now, according to a roadmap shared by research firm Omdia. The roadmap shows that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2026 will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, instead of a notch. It is unclear if there would simply be a pinhole in the display, or if Apple would expand the iPhone's...
macOS Sequoia Night Feature

Apple Releases macOS Sequoia 15.2 With New Apple Intelligence Features

Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:02 am PST by
Apple today released macOS Sequoia 15.2, the second update to the macOS Sequoia operating system that was released in September. macOS Sequoia 15.2 comes over a month after the release of macOS Sequoia 15.1. Mac users can download the ‌macOS Sequoia‌ update through the Software Update section of System Settings. macOS Sequoia 15.2 adds Image Playground, an app that lets you create...
vipps nfc tap to pay iphone

World's First Apple Pay Alternative for iPhone Launches in Norway

Monday December 9, 2024 1:28 am PST by
Norwegian payment service Vipps has become the world's first company to launch a competing tap-to-pay solution to Apple Pay on iPhone, following Apple's agreement with European regulators to open up its NFC technology to third parties. Starting December 9, Vipps users in Norway can make contactless payments in stores using their iPhones. The service initially supports customers of SpareBank...
maxresdefault

Apple Releases iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2 With Genmoji, Image Playground, Siri ChatGPT and More

Wednesday December 11, 2024 10:03 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.2 and iPadOS 18.2, the second major updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 updates that came out in September. The new updates come over a month after Apple released iOS 18.1 and iPadOS 18.1. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General >...

Top Rated Comments

penajmz Avatar
73 months ago
Should be free.
Score: 60 Votes (Like | Disagree)
sundog925 Avatar
73 months ago
Can someone please explain to me how in 2019, this is still not a universal standard thing?

Car Play debuted 5 years ago, and EVERYONE owns iPhones, why WOULDN'T car makers want this in their vehicles?

Still surprised insurance doesn't require something like this.
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tkukoc Avatar
73 months ago
"Lexus says that new software will be installed on the Lexus Multimedia System to add the CarPlay feature, and a Lexus dealer is required to install the update."

If they are required to install it then why should anyone pay money for this? Not to mention it's CarPlay.. this should absolutely be universal. Such a scam!
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kevmclane Avatar
73 months ago
Typical overpriced luxury tricks. A few years ago I upgraded my then 2016 Ford to support CarPlay with a simple $70 part which you can buy today for only $30...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
repoman016 Avatar
73 months ago
Can someone please explain to me how in 2019, this is still not a universal standard thing?

Car Play debuted 5 years ago, and EVERYONE owns iPhones, why WOULDN'T car makers want this in their vehicles?

Still surprised insurance doesn't require something like this.
Sometimes I think the same thing when i see some of the new car displays that look worse than an ipad from 10 years ago. How is the technology so far behind? why is the GUI so bad and the buttons so laggy?

my dad has a 2015 and the touch display looks worse than a game boy color and the response time is terrible.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
erinsarah Avatar
73 months ago
I wonder if they're going to charge an extra $200 labor on top of that $199, like Mazda is doing? I'm still pissed about that.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)