Pandora Radio Coming to Toyota Connected Cars

Ford isn’t the only auto company pursuing the connected carexperience — Toyota also wants in on this emerging space. At CES in Las Vegas Tuesday, Toyota announced that it will be bringingPandora to the Toyota Entune multimedia system.

Toyota’s Entune platform is similar to the Microsoft Auto platform that Ford uses for SYNC, but is built on a platform from Nuance. This platform allows users to use voice commands to perform tasks like tuning into Pandora radio stations, looking up directions and integrating with other web services.

In addition to Pandora, Toyota’s Entune system is also rolling out apps for Bing, OpenTable, iheartradio and MovieTickets.com. Users install an Entune app on their iPhone, Android or BlackBerry smartphone, which then communicates with the built-in touch screen in the dash. Only the Entune app needs to be downloaded to the smartphone; the other apps are run and controlled from the server.

Like Ford SYNC, Entune integrates with a car’s navigation system. In addition to radio, movie ticket and restaurant reservations, the system will also offer traffic details, gas prices and weather. In a similar vein to the Enform system already in some Lexus vehicles, Entune can deliver sports scores and stock quotes.

Toyota plans to roll out its first Entune-equipped cars later this year. The approach the company is taking with connectivity is slightly different from what Ford has been doing with SYNC, but the end goal of a connected automobile that can integrate with the systems users already use in a seamless and unobtrusive way, is something the auto industry as a whole seems to share.

As a big fan of the potential offered by the connected car, I think it’s great to see automakers like Toyota getting in on the game.