Here's What Automakers Told Us About CarPlay Ultra (Not Very Much)

[MacRumors]

Earlier this month, Apple announced the launch of CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its in-vehicle software system. CarPlay Ultra is currently limited to luxury Aston Martin vehicles in the U.S. and Canada, but Apple said that many other automakers around the world are working to offer it within the next year.

We asked more than a dozen automakers about their CarPlay Ultra plans, and we have rounded up their responses below. Unfortunately, but perhaps unsurprisingly, most of the companies had little to nothing to say about their future plans, and they may not want to risk upsetting Apple by divulging information prematurely.

Apple's announcement did reveal that Hyundai, along with its Kia and Genesis brands, are among the automakers that are committed to offering CarPlay Ultra. A spokesperson for Hyundai confirmed that the automaker intends to offer CarPlay Ultra, and it plans to share additional information when possible in the future.

A spokesperson for Volvo said that it was one of the committed automakers included in Apple's list when it first announced next-generation CarPlay in June 2022. However, the company did not confirm if it still plans to offer CarPlay Ultra.

That original list from 2022 was as follows:

• Acura
• Audi
• Ford
• Honda
• Infiniti
• Jaguar
• Land Rover
• Lincoln
• Mercedes-Benz
• Nissan
• Polestar
• Porsche
• Renault
• Volvo

Porsche previewed its next-generation CarPlay instrument cluster design in late 2023, but the automaker has not provided an update since then.

Mercedes-Benz has since expressed a lack of willingness to let Apple essentially take over its software experience, so it may not offer CarPlay Ultra after all.

Porsche and Mercedes-Benz have yet to respond to our inquiries.

Subaru will be assessing CarPlay Ultra for future vehicle models in its lineup, according to a company spokesperson. Mazda offered a vaguer response, with a representative there confirming that the company is always evaluating new technologies to offer the best customer experience, without mentioning CarPlay Ultra specifically.

GM ditched CarPlay in its new EVs, so it is hard to see the automaker adopting CarPlay Ultra across its brands like Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, and Cadillac.

A spokesperson for Ford declined to comment, while other automakers like BMW, GM, and Toyota have yet to respond to our inquiries.

A spokesperson for Honda said the automaker was among the first to offer regular CarPlay, as it values the technology and the customer's in-car user experience. However, it had nothing to announce about CarPlay Ultra at this time.

As the title of this article made clear, these responses do not amount to very much. Most automakers offered non-answers, or sideways answers at best, which aligns with Apple's culture of secrecy. But, we wanted to share what we heard.

CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can also adjust the color scheme. To learn more, read our coverage of Apple's announcement.

Article Link: Here's What Automakers Told Us About CarPlay Ultra (Not Very Much)

 

[JanoschR]

Would very much like to see more automakers integrate it. When I’m in for a new car that could be the deciding factor.

 

[_Refurbished_]

Honestly, I prefer the way my Volkswagen does it in my Taos. Small screen that blends into the dashboard for navigation / music / phone. My digital cockpit display important info right in front of me.

Adding more and larger screens will just negate the experience for me, as I've seen when driving in other, more robust cars. I also prefer buttons over screens. Unless a company does it very well, it will be a no for me.

 

[haunebu]

Why would an automaker allow Apple to commoditize its in-vehicle experience and own the valuable user data? Sure, a small company like Aston Martin that has a tiny software team would allow it. But manufacturers that produce millions of vehicles per year, and have the in-house software resources needed to provided differentiated experiences... that's entirely different. No need to surrender their business to Apple.

 

[timber]

Why would an automaker allow Apple to commoditize its in-vehicle experience and own the valuable user data? Sure, a small company like Aston Martin that has a tiny software team would allow it. But manufacturers that produce millions of vehicles per year, and have the in-house software resources needed to provided differentiated experiences... that's entirely different. No need to surrender their business to Apple.

Not only has a tiny software team but also markets cars completely non dependent on software for sales. Most Aston Martin vehicles probably aren't even driven that much.

Either way no company would ever answer anything more than corporate gibberish to such inquiries.

 

[guzhogi]

Is it wrong that I'm a bit weary of it? What happens if my phone software becomes unresponsive? How good is the switchover to the car's builtin system?

 

[BornAgainMac]

I hate those built-in car systems. Anything is an improvement.

 

[CrysisDeu]

Carplay ultra is a flop. It doesn’t really offer much extra value compared to the regular one after so many years of development. Many EV companies have built far superior native experiences. Android automotive is getting traction, and tech companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and even Sony are building their own cars.

Apple needs to build their own car to have true deep software hardware integration. And then they can upgrade CarPlay to be a dumb down version of their CarOS. But with how project Titan went, they probably won’t have the courage to build a car anymore

 

[jz0309]

All the traditional carmakers are (still) trying to figure SW out, how to do what Tesla is doing, and they are stumbling. And then services, for a fee like what GM is doing …
That they are vague about all this is not a surprise

 

[AdamHarbour]

is Apple blinded by their own self importance! Everyone else’s can see car manufacturers will not be behind this. They need to focus on what important and what achievable! Apple intelligence Siri ! Making the iPhone stand out technically not for silly camera visors …… get the import stuff right like they used to …… an FFS add some colour to the pro iPhone 😝

 

[GriffinCorp2]

I'm getting ready to order the new 2026 Land Rover Defender. I wish we knew if they were still planning on supporting this. I'm guessing it's going to need new, faster hardware than the current Pivi Pro. I hope we get an option for a paid upgrade.

 

[iMac1978]

If governments are starting to pressure/mandate Apple to allow alternative marketplaces on their hardware, why not do the same with the auto industry and allow the customer to choose what they want to use, CarPlay, Android Auto, or the manufacturer’s system?

 

[verniesgarden]

Carplay ultra is a flop. It doesn’t really offer much extra value compared to the regular one after so many years of development. Many EV companies have built far superior native experiences. Android automotive is getting traction, and tech companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and even Sony are building their own cars.

Apple needs to build their own car to have true deep software hardware integration. And then they can upgrade CarPlay to be a dumb down version of their CarOS. But with how project Titan went, they probably won’t have the courage to build a car anymore

having Android Automotive in my Volvo I can tell you that it is complete trash, only a margin better than native systems.

 

[211]

From a lot of responses saying “of course car companies want to push their own software because of this and that”, why did they allow CarPlay in the first place? How come surveys keep saying CarPlay is a deciding factor for a lot of people in buying a car, yet everyone here thinks CarPlay Ultra is bad and no one will want it?

It seems anything new Apple does (iPod, iPhone, iPad,  Watch,  Vision Pro) is immediately met with hatred here when they haven’t even tried it, rather than give it a chance

 

[timber]

Probably because CarPlay was (and is) a side thing that several customers don't even notice it's there or a possibility.
Surveys probably tell a lot of stuff companies don't do including Apple.

 

[ZMacintosh]

I dont understand why automakers are trying to be everything, just make a good vehicle. Apple is practically handing you an OS that a majority of people are familiar with. The current state of Auto UI's and the ugh, infotainment software is garbage.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Why would an automaker allow Apple to commoditize its in-vehicle experience and own the valuable user data? Sure, a small company like Aston Martin that has a tiny software team would allow it. But manufacturers that produce millions of vehicles per year, and have the in-house software resources needed to provided differentiated experiences... that's entirely different. No need to surrender their business to Apple.

That's not how it works... There's no "valuable user data" to be gained from having control over your air conditioning. There's also no "business" there other than to keep people happy with their cars and to buy more of them.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Probably because CarPlay was (and is) a side thing that several customers don't even notice it's there or a possibility.
Surveys probably tell a lot of stuff companies don't do including Apple.

CarPlay has been in the top 5 most requested features for car buyers since 2018.

 

[Iconoclysm]

having Android Automotive in my Volvo I can tell you that it is complete trash, only a margin better than native systems.

It's worse than native systems really, it's just a barebones framework for a car company to build on.

 

[jgreg728]

Why would an automaker allow Apple to commoditize its in-vehicle experience and own the valuable user data? Sure, a small company like Aston Martin that has a tiny software team would allow it. But manufacturers that produce millions of vehicles per year, and have the in-house software resources needed to provided differentiated experiences... that's entirely different. No need to surrender their business to Apple.

Such a dumb take coming from a consumer. We shouldn’t care about who controls what - we should care about OUR EXPERIENCE. If CarPlay/CP Ultra is a better and safer experience for driving, then we should be demanding it for the cars we want to buy. Not giving companies excuses to have a chokehold over our data. They’ll be fine and still make their sweet profits (Apple included). They can figure that out. We gotta stop with this “is anyone thinking of the corporations?!” mentality.

 

[Iconoclysm]

Carplay ultra is a flop. It doesn’t really offer much extra value compared to the regular one after so many years of development. Many EV companies have built far superior native experiences. Android automotive is getting traction, and tech companies like Huawei, Xiaomi and even Sony are building their own cars.

Apple needs to build their own car to have true deep software hardware integration. And then they can upgrade CarPlay to be a dumb down version of their CarOS. But with how project Titan went, they probably won’t have the courage to build a car anymore

Android Automotive isn't an alternative to CarPlay Ultra, it enables CarPlay Ultra. The entire concept of the car having an OS over being a second screen for each driver's personal device misses the point completely. The car is an accessory, not the primary device.

 

[DotCom2]

Planning on getting a new car in the near future. Waiting for Ultra. If Lexus doesn't support, I'm moving to Genesis.

 

[JTK Awesome]

How come surveys keep saying CarPlay is a deciding factor for a lot of people in buying a car, yet everyone here thinks CarPlay Ultra is bad and no one will want it?

Since when do car companies give two 💩 what customers want? Why else did the Big Three keep going back to Congress again and again for bailouts?

 

[DotCom2]

If governments are starting to pressure/mandate Apple to allow alternative marketplaces on their hardware, why not do the same with the auto industry and allow the customer to choose what they want to use, CarPlay, Android Auto, or the manufacturer’s system?

Exactly! I don't know why this is so hard for people to understand.

 

[OxOOCOFFEE]

Any news regarding Toyota vehicles? Is this update only applicable to upcoming vehicles, or update to current recently sold cars as an update?