Apple CarPlay

Ford Australia has announced pricing for its 2020 Puma small SUV line-up, due here in the second half of the year. The European-sourced model will be available in three trims: the Puma, Puma ST-Line and flagship Puma ST-Line V. Pricing begins at $29,990 for the base model and tops out at $35,540 for the ST-Line V (all before on-road costs).

BMW has killed costly subscription fees for Apple CarPlay in Australia. The brand was alone in treating smartphone mirroring technology as a subscription service, charging $479 for three years.

Lexus has rolled out Apple CarPlay and Android Auto across its line-up, but existing owners haven't been left in the cold. The ES mid-sized sedan and RX SUV were the first two models to get the technology in October, while the mid-sized NX SUV, range-topping LS sedan, and the RC and LC coupe line-ups have been outfitted with the system since November 1. Finally, all UX SUVs sold from December 1 onwards will have the technology. The BMW 3 Series-rivalling IS sedan misses out though, for now.

At some point in September, Apple users will have their iPhones prompt them to install the latest update of its operating system, iOS 13. There's a long list of reasons iOS 13 is worth your time, but we think you’ll look forward to the CarPlay update the most. The update will be free, and should give CarPlay users a new-car feeling once connected.

The facelifted 2020 Lexus RX has been revealed, ahead of its Australian introduction during the fourth quarter of 2019. Design revisions include slimmer headlights, which are now available with blade-scan technology for the auto high-beam function claimed to be much quicker than current systems – said to be a world-first – and subtle updates to the sheetmetal, including "revised character lines" and new bumpers front and rear.