Roger Fingas
In tandem with this week's New York International Auto Show, several major car brands have unveiled more vehicles supporting CarPlay, Apple's bridge interface between iPhones and dash displays.
This fall, General Motors' Chevrolet division will launch two compatible vehicles, the 2017 Sonic and the 2017 Trax. While the latter is an SUV, the Sonic will be its first subcompact car to offer the option, making the technology more affordable.
Honda is taking a similar approach with the 2017 Civic Hatchback, also due in the fall. On the opposite end of the spectrum, people will be able to run CarPlay in the U.S. version of the Clarity Fuel Cell, a $60,000 hydrogen-powered sedan set to go on sale in "select" California markets by the end of the year.
Hyundai will notably be bringing CarPlay to the 2017 Ioniq, available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and full electric models, though no firm release date has been announced. The company's Kia subsidiary will add the platform to its 2017 Cadenza sedan, shipping in late 2016.
2017 Hyundai IoniqSubaru, meanwhile, is using CarPlay in the 2017 Impreza, and Volkswagen is adding it to the U.S. version of the 2017 Golf Alltrack. The latter is rolling out this fall.
Most or all of the above vehicles will also support Android Auto, Google's competing dash standard.
CarPlay initially launched in 2014, but didn't pick up much automaker support until mid-2015. The platform now has over 100 compatible vehicles, though many people may still have to install an aftermarket dash unit if they want access.
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7 Comments
As I said before and now that when carplay/android-auto phone connectivity is available than why in a world anyone wants to buy new car/SUV/truck/etc without it ? Typically, people keep car 10 or more years and no one wants to live without these features; when others(friends,colleages,extended family,etc) who waited little more have and enjoying convenience everyday..If you are uninformed buyer than at-least ask for huge discount on car if not equipped with carplay/androidauto feature.This kind of pressure will get these car manufacturers get off their laurels.
Nice to see more models will be available with CarPlay. Opel now has it in the 2016 Astra. I was interested in a Toyota Auris Hybrid Wagon, but Toyota still has it's head stuck in the sand and refuses to integrate it to any of their models. Thank you for making my car buying decision easier Toyota. Now the Opel Astra moves up to the top of my buy list.
Early this year, Toyota backed out of CarPlay in favor of an open source infotainment platform called SmartDeviceLink, which supposedly can be customized to match each carmaker's in-car system characteristics and interface. I bought a 2015 Avalon and am totally disgusted with the quirkiness, operational failures and user unfriendliness of Toyota's current proprietary Entune system.
Would you believe - the damn Entune system comes with a 400-page user manual?! Drivers better be prepared to have that manual handy for several months, because it's a pain in the ass initially to puzzle out a non-obvious system without consulting it. Zero intuitiveness.
I knew at the time that the company had not incorporated CarPlay, although it indicated that it would in the future and that my next Avalon would probably offer it. Now, the path that Toyota is following destroys my confidence in them.
For a second time from Toyota, it looks like there will be zero commonality and continuing dangerous distraction for drivers from a needlessly complex, inefficient and failure-prone navigation and entertainment offering.
I'm skeptical that Toyota has any idea what it's doing, other than abandoning commonality and bullheadedly pursuing a "not invented here" posture. Keep it up, Toyota. You'll go the way of Sony and Betamax, and I'll go the way of some other brand that better fulfills my expectations. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.
Great to see that the Ioniq will include CarPlay. I will be replacing my current S10 with the Colorado diesel soon and will be looking to purchase the Ioniq when it is released. Not certain if I will go with the all electric version or the hybrid.
Good to see that the vehicles I will be purchasing will come with CarPlay. While I have had a fantastic experience with Hyundai vehicles, my experiences with GM have been disappointing. But there is no other pick up like the Colorado diesel.
CarPlay should offer a very good experience.
If you really want CarPlay, don't buy a Honda unless it is installed from day one.
There is is a community of 2015 & 16 Honda owners who were led to believe that Honda would release backward firmware updates for folks who bought Display Audio equipped cars. This was a blatant bait and switch and rather shows that Honda would rather leverage CarPlay to sell new cars (and to sell 1000$ navigation units or a shitty nav app go 60$) than surprise and delight current owners.