Apple, Where is CarPlay Ultra?

In May 2025, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. 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, and Genesis. Yet, more than 15 months have passed since that announcement, and the software has yet to expand beyond Aston Martin. Apple has also seemingly gone quiet about CarPlay Ultra.

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 the software finally expands beyond Aston Martin over the final four months of 2026. We have reached out to Apple for comment.

This article, “Apple, Where is CarPlay Ultra?” first appeared on MacRumors.com

Discuss this article in our forums