Next-gen CarPlay, branded CarPlay Ultra, starts rolling out today

After months of delays, Apple officially announced the launch of next-gen CarPlay, now with a new brand name of ‘CarPlay Ultra’. From today, CarPlay Ultra is available with new Aston Martin vehicle orders in the United States and Canada, and a software update will also bring the technology to existing vehicles. Apple also said Hyundai, Kia and Genesis are working on adding CarPlay Ultra to their cars, but did not disclose a timeframe.

CarPlay Ultra integrates vehicle controls with the CarPlay experience, including taking over display of the instrument cluster and gauges, toggles for air conditioning and driver assistance systems, advanced media controls and more.

CarPlay Ultra services all of the screens in the vehicle, not just the primary infotainment display. That includes digital renderings of the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, and more. CarPlay apps like media and navigation can also seamlessly integrate into the instrument cluster.

CarPlay Ultra cars also allow for onscreen controls or Siri voice commands to control car features like the radio and climate, as well as vehicle-specific features like performance driving modes. Widgets from the iPhone can also be projected on the infotainment display to show glanceable information, like calendar or weather.

Apple is working with its automaker partners to created themed interfaces that match the car brand. That means the UI for CarPlay Ultra in Aston Martin has its own custom theme.

Of course, the big question mark with CarPlay Ultra is availability. A launch with just Aston Martin vehicles is pretty restrictive. In today’s press release, Apple announced an expansion of car manufacturers committed to supporting CarPlay Ultra including Hyundai and Kia. Apple also previously showed renders of what next-gen CarPlay would look like in Porsche vehicles. However, there is no timeline for when CarPlay Ultra will be made available on anything but Aston Martin right now.

But if you are in the market for an Aston Martin, Apple says that CarPlay Ultra is now available to order as a standard option as part of Aston Martin’s core model lineup in the United States and Canada. That includes the Aston Martin DBX, Vantage, DB12 and Vanquish. Support will expand to all of its vehicles globally over the course of the next twelve months.

If you already own a compatible Aston Martin car, CarPlay Ultra support will arrive as a software update available at local dealers soon.