Toyota Tests Annual Nav Services Subscriptions in Europe for the Redesigned 2014 Corolla

While the 2014 Toyota Corolla redesign will include new options for navigation and entertainment apps in both the United States and Europe, operations on both sides of the ocean differ on how to deliver the new tech. Therefore, with the launch in June of the latest Corolla, Toyota Motor Europe is including a one-year trial subscription for traffic and search apps. At the end of the trial period, the company will try to convert the customers who received the trials into paying around $60 annually in subscription fees. Toyota has added two new Google Maps features, Street View and Panoramio, to a package of apps in the navigation system that includes real time traffic powered by TomTom, and local search, fuel prices, parking and weather information. Street View and Panoramio both offer photos and videos of travelers' destinations, which can help drivers find landmarks and other helpful visual features.

By contrast, Toyota Motor Sales' national multimedia operations manager Ken Parkman was quoted as saying that Toyota has no plans to charge a subscription fee for the new infotainment system. When Entune Audio was introduced in 2011, the plan was to provide a three-year trial with purchase, and then charge an annual fee for the services, but that approach was abandoned. While the latest generation of Toyota's famous compact sedan in the U.S. does feature new infotainment services, the array differs slightly from the compact's counterpart in Europe. The package includes several entertainment and social apps, such as Pandora, Yelp, and Facebook Places, but does not include Google Maps Street View and Panoramio. The Entune Premium Audio option, paired with the Toyota Smart Key System, will be an option on the 2014 Toyota Corolla priced at $1,510.