My defender is coming in the next few weeks and have been studying the infotainment/pivi pro system on YouTube and also the digital instrument cluster. With my experience of CarPlay on other automobiles from the videos it looks as though Land Rover system has a better interface, then CarPlay? Curious for those out there are you using CarPlay or are you using the native system?

 

You pose a good question.

I use Pivi far more than CarPlay, for everything including nav. Why? There's something about the design of the iconography & type in it that I love... (I'm a former designer), the UI / is great too. CarPlay is not a slouch, but I have essentially the same thing on my phone all day every day so in the car it's nice to see Pivi instead of more Apple.

In my other cars, the CarPlay is what I tend to use. They're interfaces, not as good.

 

That is a exactly where I was going with the the question and appreciate and agree with the UI at least from the videos I have seen.

Having said that do you find the Pivi to be as responsive as the CarPlay or laggy?

 

Pivi is not laggy at all. Maybe in the first 10-30 seconds on startup if you try to access settings or deep functions in the menus you get a delay -- but the simple stuff works right on the startup (radio, parking sensors, cameras) -- as they designed it that way. And after that initial 30 sec boot up or whatever it would be called, I find Pivi absolutely quick, no lagging.

This is in stark contrast to the old JLR "Incontrol" systems from around 2014 to 2020 or so, which were insanely laggy and terrible.

 

I’m new to the LR world and for now I’m using CarPlay simply because I’m more used to the interface. Most of the media and maps I use are also Apple, so everything is more intuitive. I’m sure as I get more used to the Pivi interface, I may start to change my mind. Right now it takes me a fair amount of searching/pecking on the screen to do relatively simple thing in Pivi.

 

Also, I'll note that since you're unfamiliar with Pivi Pro, the Alexa integration into Pivi Pro that was launched w/ v3.0 of the software is actually pretty good.

So for example I'll say "Alexa navigate to 5000 Wilshire Blvd Los Angeles" or "Alexa navigate to Starbucks NW 23rd Street" or "Alexa call Mom Mobile" -- works like a treat every time. The native Land Rover voice activation is less good -- but they added Alexa in a recent 2021/2022 software update and I use it instead.

Really, it's quite good, and this Alexa integration is right into Pivi (not CarPlay)... See attached PDF at this web page --> LR USA Site

It's also cool that I can remote start the car from inside the house using Alexa in the kitchen in the morning without using my LR Remote app on the phone... or ask it if "Alexa are my Land Rover doors locked?" or "Alexa lock the Land Rover doors" or "Alexa ask Land Rover to check my Range" and it'll say "your 2020 Defender X has a range of approx 200 miles with a fuel level of 65%"

 

I would like to try pivi pro for its female British voice but the waze like function of the carplay is great in warning you of speed traps/speed check ahead.

 

I have huge respect for @nashvegas from other postings. However, I'm a CarPlay proponent. He's not wrong, I just have different uses/experiences. I agree that PiviPro is much more responsive (than earlier versions that we've upgraded out of) and has a lot of cool features. I do go back & forth, but for me - I try to natively use CarPlay. Likely because I use it in so many of my other vehicles. It's just familiar and easier for me to use. So, regardless which path you go down, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

 

Im not sure I’m ready for that level of automation and tracking. 😜

 

I used pivi pro long enough to connect my iPHone to it and turn on carplay. It is well done so that when I needed the 4x4i menus it's easy to pop back and forth, but honestly I barely touch pivi pro.