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.
Apple's CarPlay system for accessing iPhone apps on a vehicle's dashboard screen has received six popular apps in recent weeks: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Grok, Google Meet, WhatsApp, and the indie artist streaming platform Audiomack.
Make sure you have the latest version of each app and they will automatically appear on CarPlay.
ChatGPT
Starting with iOS 26.4, CarPlay supports voice-based...
SpaceXAI has released Grok Voice mode for Apple CarPlay, allowing CarPlay users to ask the chatbot questions and make requests directly from their vehicle dashboard, handsfree.
Previously, Grok for iPhone displayed a placeholder app in CarPlay saying the handsfree support would be coming soon. Grok comes built-in on Tesla vehicles, but now almost any other car can access it.
Apple...
Grok has just joined ChatGPT and Perplexity on Apple CarPlay, giving drivers who converse with AI chatbots a third option to choose from.
Developed by Elon Musk's xAI (now SpaceXAI after the two companies were recently folded into each other), Grok's Voice mode tends to offer more quirky responses compared to the other chatbots, but the app's main CarPlay interface is very similar, thanks to ...
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.
