The announcement by Google that Android Auto was releasing in Australia – as well as in the UK and US – was met with quite a bit of excitement (and debate). The tweet from Google made it sound as though the release would be immediate but from looking around the arrival won’t be immediate.
There’s two models of Pioneer branded Android Auto head units arriving in Australia, the ‘low-end’ AVH-X8750BT and the more premium AVIC-F70DAB. There’s a spec sheet for the higher end AVIC-F70DAB on the Pioneer Europe website, but at this stage the specs for the AVH-X8750BT are still relatively unknown.
We’ve approached Pioneer Australia regarding the head units and the silence is deafening. There are some indications for price and availability for both models however, with at least 3 independent sources advising similar time frames and prices. At this stage, both the AVH-X8750BT and the AVIC-F70DAB are due to arrive in Australia mid next month, with pre-orders and pricing due to be made available early April.
The release date is apparently due to the timing of the Japanese financial year which runs from the 1st of April through to the 31st of March, making the release of new models in April seem a little more logical.
But it won’t be cheap. While the Pioneer head units start at around US$700 for the AVH-4100NEX, the initial pricing for the AVH-X8750BT looks to be around the $1,100 mark. If that price is a little hard to swallow, then the higher end AVIC-F70DAB will make you pause, with the RRP expected to be around the $2,000 mark.
We’ll be following up with Pioneer Australia further to get more information as it’s officially released, but for now, it’s looking a little expensive.
