Investigation into why a 2024 Toyota Corolla XS Hybrid 1.8L CBU sedan in South Africa has limited app functionality compared to what's advertised on Toyota's website.
The "Remote Connect" features (remote lock/unlock, remote start, etc.) are US/Canada/Mexico only. The SA MyToyota app and the US Toyota app are essentially different products with the same branding. Google Assistant car control doesn't support Toyota at all.
Toyota's telematics platform "Drivelink" that powers Remote Connect is currently limited to North America, with expansion planned for Australia and India.
- GPS vehicle location
- Battery health check
- Driver score
- In-car Wi-Fi (15GB free)
- Service booking & reminders
- Digital logbook (mileage/service history)
- Roadside assistance with impact detection
- Remote lock/unlock
- Remote engine start
- Remote climate control
- Guest driver monitoring
- Digital Key
The website with more features is likely toyota.com (US) rather than toyota.co.za.
CBU = "Completely Built-Up" — the car was imported fully assembled (likely from Japan) rather than assembled locally in SA. CBU units may have different head unit hardware/software than locally assembled vehicles, potentially with different connected services modules.
This is a completely separate system from Toyota's app.
- Google Digital Car Key (lock/unlock from phone) only supports specific vehicles from BMW, Hyundai, Genesis, etc. — Toyota is not supported on Google's platform.
- Toyota has its own proprietary Digital Key, but even that is only for select 2024+ US models (4Runner, Tacoma, Land Cruiser — not Corolla).
- There is no way to add a Toyota to your Google profile for car control. When Google Assistant says it "can't find his car," it's because Google's car integration simply doesn't support Toyota. It's not a setup issue — the feature doesn't exist.
| Feature | Available in SA? |
|---|---|
| Car location / GPS | Yes |
| Battery health | Yes |
| Driver score | Yes |
| Service booking | Yes |
| Remote lock/unlock | No (US/Canada only) |
| Remote engine start | No (US/Canada only) |
| Google Assistant car control | No (Toyota not supported) |
| Google Digital Car Key | No (Toyota not supported) |
If remote lock capability is desired, aftermarket solutions (like Viper/Compustar systems with their own apps) would be the route to explore.
- Toyota Connect South Africa
- MyToyota App SA
- Toyota Connected Services (US)
- Google Digital Car Key Setup
- Toyota Digital Key Compatibility
- MyToyota App Features (CFAO)
Researched 2025-02-11