CarPlay Ultra got off to a rocky start. So far, it’s been difficult to find outside of an Aston Martin priced above $200,000, which is an odd place for a company the size of Apple to leave a new platform.
According to a report from Bloomberg, that could change before the end of the year. CarPlay Ultra is expected to be available on at least one new Hyundai or Kia model in the second half of this year, a move that would make the system available to far more drivers than its current niche market.
Why the rollout is crawled
CarPlay Ultra doesn’t offer the usual plug-and-play experience you get with standard CarPlay. It is being developed as an individual interface for each car manufacturer, meaning Apple’s design team has to work with a car brand on a unique layout that fits the vehicle’s screens and overall cockpit.
This tailored approach slows everything down. It also raises the stakes for automakers who care about the look and feel of their dashboards. Some brands are hesitant to hand this over to Apple, especially after Apple previously considered building its own vehicle.
What it changes for buyers
If Hyundai or Kia launch CarPlay Ultra, it will be the first real evidence that Apple can scale the concept beyond ultra-luxury edge cases. Ultra is meant to feel like the car’s native system, rather than a mirrored phone window. Therefore, its value is difficult to assess when almost no one can actually try it.
For buyers, the trade-off is simple. Either stick with the automaker’s software experience or let Apple run more of the screens you use every day. Ultra’s promise is consistency throughout the interior, but that only works if the car brand is willing to share that space.
What to watch next
The next update requires names and features. If Ultra ends up in a high-volume model and not just a premium configuration, it signals real commitment and could encourage other automakers to move faster. If it’s limited to a top trim, it may remain a status feature for longer than drivers would like.
Tesla is another thread. Normal CarPlay, not Ultra, is said to be in the works for Tesla, with more details to be announced later. If it succeeds, it’ll be a separate win for Apple and a reminder that the standard CarPlay story is still evolving, too.
