Pioneer unveils new range of aftermarket dash units ready for Apple CarPlay

Pioneer on Wednesday laid plans for a new series of NEX dash systems, expanding the number of aftermarket upgrade options enabling Apple's CarPlay.

The top-tier model will be the AVIC-8200NEX, equipped with a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen. The AVIC-7200NEX and AVH-4200NEX will retain the same size, but downgrade to resistive touchscreens, while the AVIC-5200NEX and AVIC-6200NEX will use 6.2-inch resistive screens.

The three 7-inch models will additionally support Android Auto, Google's answer to CarPlay.

No other details about the hardware have been released, including prices or release dates.

A growing number of carmakers are supporting CarPlay in their 2016 models, but most people with older vehicles will have no choice but to upgrade using aftermarket parts. Even then, only Alpine, Kenwood, and Pioneer are currently producing compatible dash units, costing hundreds or thousands of dollars each.

Though officially a CarPlay partner, Toyota this week said it would opt for Ford's SmartDeviceLink platform instead, which supports a broader range of mobile devices. Ford, ironically, announced that it would support CarPlay in 2017 models, as well as some 2016 models through a software update.