Toyota has announced new features for the 2024 Corolla range for the European market, with the highlight being the Smart Digital Key system. Specced as such, you can now use your iPhone or Android smartphone as a complete replacement for the standard physical keyfob – to lock, unlock and even start the engine.
Each car can be linked to up to five smartphones, and the user can operate the car with the phone in his/her pocket or handbag. There is no need to tap or place the said phone on a sensor (or even call up a specific app) like in older smart key systems. Simply put, the phone entirely replaces the keyfob, as easy as.
One complication is, Toyota Europe is currently offering the feature as a subscription service. It’s standard on Mid variants and above, but that only covers a one year subscription. To use the feature after that will require additional payments, and the renewal price has not been announced just yet.
Other updates for the 2024 Toyota Corolla includes a Panasonic nanoe-X air purification system – available for the very first time in Europe – and a new Super Green metallic paintjob for the Hatchback and Touring Sports bodystyles as pictured here.
What do you think of this new feature for the Toyota Corolla, and of the subscription concept as a whole – would you be willing to pay extra to “unlock” features that are already built into your car? Comment below.
Here in Malaysia, the 2023 Toyota Corolla sedan was launched recently with minor exterior and interior updates, as well as a new GR Sport variant. Pricing is between RM140k and RM153k.
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Oh no not you too Toyota
We only need Toyota to be reliable
We don’t need Toyota to be fancy
Thats good,
Keep them for optional.
Which means it also got warranty along with subscription.
Honda Connect is FOC
Oh. Now Toyota is following the western automakers with this subscription bullshit
Should be perpetual. Or at least cover by 5 or 7 years warranty.
No thanks. People will keep the FOB. Just like how BMW owners rather be in cold than paying for heated seat.
PROTON X series models can lock, unlock and many more functions and those functions are free, so far. why TOYOTA charge customers ? even the current VTS is not that good a software to use and depend on
And those pLoton are also self-combust for free. Eww like stop comparing chinese shit with Toyota. For real
Shut your fxxxk mouth, anti-Chinese
Nice to have but not need to have feature. Do have some security concerns regarding it. When u lock/unlock your car via phone, does your car sent back the signal to ur phone confirming lock/unlock action? If someone hacked your phone basically items inside your car might get stolen. Prefer old school where using the remote IMHO is more secure.
old school cars also get stolen
So they install whatever module on the car to enable this but you need to pay to use it. Meanwhile can I just ripped it off to totally ignore it? I am sure some electronics are involved which leech from the battery.