Having recently upgraded to Android Auto personally I don’t really know how I managed without it. It’s simple, functional, and makes spending long stretches in the car more enjoyable.
The problem for a lot of users is that their car simply can’t take an upgraded head unit. Whether that is because the dash is a moulded system around the existing stereo, or the existing stereo only has a single DIN available then there are barriers. Sony have brought the party to single DIN vehicles offering the XAV-AX8000.
The 8.95″ screen is attached through a single DIN and “floats” in front of your dash, giving users a huge visible area, touchscreen capabilities and all the functions you’d expect from Android Auto or Apple Car Play.
The unit has Bluetooth connectivity to handle calls, multiple mounting options (allowing for differing dash compatibilities), single touch controls – both physical button and touch screen, is reversing camera ready and offers amplification for higher quality sound.
The full specs can be viewed on the Sony website. We have reached out to Sony Australia to confirm when this will become available in Australia and of course the finalised Aussie costs.
“We have reached out to Sony Australia to confirm when this will become available in Australia and of course the finalised Aussie costs.”
Any news from them? Really want this thing and a reasonable price… :\ It’s what I’ve been looking for… Android Auto & 9″ screen in the car… I’m sure it’s the dream combination for many that shouldn’t be as much as the Alpine version, but still get a taste of the Tesla-like-direction screen moderness!
This looks very appealing.
I recently installed a Sony head unit with Android Auto and we love it. The Sony units seem to be very good quality and not too hard to install. If you want to install yourself you’ll need some wiring harnesses (which are essentially connectors so you don’t have to do any wire splicing or soldering) from Aerpro.
Re the DAB+ question, even if it does have DAB remember that your car will need a DAB aerial for it to work.
Does the Australian version come with DAB+ ?