Note: This article was first published on 16 May 2025.
Apple's next generation CarPlay is here at last. Photo: Apple
The next generation of CarPlay is finally here, and it’s called CarPlay Ultra. Unfortunately, it’s only available on new Aston Martin cars in the US and Canada, for now.
CarPlay Ultra is essentially CarPlay on steroids. Right now, the CarPlay that we all know and love is confined only to the infotainment. CarPlay Ultra extends CarPlay to the entire dashboard, which means the instrument cluster and any other additional displays.
CarPlay Ultra will be customisable to a certain extent. Here, you can see it display tyre pressure. Photo: Apple
In other words, CarPlay Ultra will take over all traditional driver gauges like the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and more. It will also handle other car functions like the radio and climate control.
In addition, CarPlay Ultra will let users add widgets that will “perfectly fit the car’s screen or gauge cluster to provide information at a glance”.
CarPlay Ultra will take over all screens in the car and handle functionality like climate control. Photo: Apple
At this time, CarPlay Ultra is available with any newly ordered Aston Martin in the US and Canada. Though neither Apple nor Aston Martin gave specifics as to which models will support it, Top Gear managed to experience it in a DBX 707. It stands to reason, then, that it will also be available on the DB12, and the recently updated Vantage and Vanquish. Additionally, CarPlay Ultra can also be retroactively activated on select Aston Martin cars in the coming weeks as part of a software update.
Apple also said that it’s working with other car makers to bring CarPlay Ultra to more drivers, and that Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis recently committed to bringing CarPlay Ultra to their cars.
When Apple first announced CarPlay Ultra in 2022, brands that said they would include it in their vehicles include Audi, Honda, Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, Porsche, Renault, Volvo, and more.
Source: Apple
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