In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis.
CarPlay Ultra features deeper integration with a vehicle's instrument cluster and systems, built-in apps for radio and climate controls, rear-view camera feed support, and more. The connected iPhone provides app-related data, while the vehicle provides information like the current speed, fuel level, tire pressure, engine temperature, and more.
The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker's identity, and drivers can choose from various preset design options.
Earlier this year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said he was told that CarPlay Ultra would come to at least one major new Hyundai or Kia vehicle model "in the second half of this year," so hopefully an expansion is just a few months away.
Friday September 4, 2026 1:43 pm PDT by Juli Clover
Anthropic added CarPlay integration to the Claude iOS app, which means Claude users can talk to Claude through their in-car infotainment systems.
Apple added support for third-party chatbots in CarPlay in iOS 26.4. Chatbot apps with CarPlay integration need to add support for a voice control screen, use Apple's designated CarPlay template, and get an entitlement from Apple. Claude can answer ...
Volvo this week confirmed that Spatial Audio support in CarPlay, powered by Dolby Atmos, is now rolling out to EX90 models via a software update.
Volvo first detailed Spatial Audio for the EX60, EX90, and ES90 in July. It requires the optional Bowers & Wilkins sound...
Thursday August 20, 2026 11:25 am PDT by Joe Rossignol
In May 2025, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of CarPlay that it first previewed in 2022. More than a year later, however, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to select Aston Martin vehicles with six-figure price tags.
In a press release last year, Apple said "many" other vehicle brands around the world planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia,...
People hate touch interfaces for instruments like the AC or fan control. It's why manufacturers are returning to such controls. Sounds like Car Play Ultra is for a very niche market (i.e. nobody).
People hate touch interfaces for instruments like the AC or fan control. It's why manufacturers are returning to such controls. Sounds like Car Play Ultra is for a very niche market (i.e. nobody).
Thankfully VW has learned this lesson and their upcoming EVs are bringing back a lot of physical controls.
I think you don’t understand. Physical buttons - which you’re in favour of - can be used with CarPlay Ultra in the immediate term.
You’re being short-sighted thinking about today, not the future - ie. the real reason Apple are pursuing this deep integration of their OS with cars. The very same reason, in fact, that car manufacturers are pushing back.
Hint: The ambition for CarPlay is not a touch screen UI slapped on a dashboard.
I've no idea what you're wibbling on about. People buy cars and use the controls in that car they have. It's well-known that car manufacturers are going back to physical controls as people hate, HATE, buggering about with touchscreens to do simple stuff. As I say, I don't think you drive (assuming you're the original poster I responded to).
Carplay is not a customizable interface so I don’t use it on my VW 2026 Tiguan. I have the larger screen and the VW display has multiple customizable home pages PLUS and apps/functions screen PLUS dedicated screens for each app/function.
I use BT audio/phone connection for the iPhone because the VW media player is just as good/bad as the carplay/Music app, the VW phone app is just as good/bad the carplay phone app.
But the VW interface has a much nicer look to it, and being able to choose which widgets go where and what size and having multiple home screens is far better than Apples dated looking carplay icon or single fixed home screen layout.
And the VW setup isn’t even that great. I understand some other brands have even better built-in.
The only thing I use carplay for is route guidance because I can click directly on an appointment and have it map it. But even then, I have to use my PHONE to do that, then let carplay do the guidance. If BT connection could send addresses to the built in car Nav, I probably wouldn’t use carplay at all.
Carplay is not a customizable interface so I don’t use it on my VW 2026 Tiguan. I have the larger screen and the VW display has multiple customizable home pages PLUS and apps/functions screen PLUS dedicated screens for each app/function.
I use BT audio/phone connection for the iPhone because the VW media player is just as good/bad as the carplay/Music app, the VW phone app is just as good/bad the carplay phone app.
But the VW interface has a much nicer look to it, and being able to choose which widgets go where and what size and having multiple home screens is far better than Apples dated looking carplay icon or single fixed home screen layout.
And the VW setup isn’t even that great. I understand some other brands have even better built-in.
The only thing I use carplay for is route guidance because I can click directly on an appointment and have it map it. But even then, I have to use my PHONE to do that, then let carplay do the guidance. If BT connection could send addresses to the built in car Nav, I probably wouldn’t use carplay at all.
I agree with you. I would go a step further: the native apps should be able to access the Apple Libraries (Music, Contacts, Calendar, etc) directly without the phone present. No BT needed. Just like any email client can access any email service.
