I'm from the UK and have been using offline maps whilst on holiday in France. Where there are several lanes on the approach it's crucial to know well in advance which lane to take. A quick check of the icon should at least give some idea, without the need to take your eyes off the road to look hard at the map. I had an old sat nav that provided this together with an exit number about seven years ago. It's not rocket science and if the spoken instructions can tell you then all it takes is an icon to match - very easy stuff. As for the recent changes, someone should be taken to task. It's NEVER acceptable to remove functionality without prior warning. People plan around what they know and expect, and if they can't they will turn to something else they can trust. It's about time Google had learned this, or are they becoming to big not to care?