Apple CarPlay Ultra is expanding to new, more affordable car brands very soon

Apple’s CarPlay Ultra is set to reach millions more drivers this year, with two major car brands expected to offer Apple’s powerful in-car software very soon.

CarPlay Ultra launched almost a year ago, and it is still limited to Aston Martin’s latest luxury vehicles. Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman hasn’t minced words about its slow start: “So far, CarPlay Ultra has been a bit of a dud and hard to find outside of a $200,000-plus Aston Martin,” he wrote. “For a company with Apple’s scale, this kind of niche offering is unusual.”

Gurman points to two reasons for the slow rollout. The system is completely bespoke, requiring Apple’s design team to build a unique experience with each carmaker from scratch. And many car companies are reluctant to hand control to Apple — particularly given that Apple once tried to build its own car.

Despite that, Gurman reports the system will arrive in at least one major Hyundai or Kia model in the second half of 2026.

Porsche, Mercedes, and Polestar are also named as future partners, but with no timeline as of yet.

In a separate note, Gurman added that standard CarPlay, not Ultra, is still in the works at Tesla. He promised more details soon.

Of course, it’s been noted before, but not every brand is on board, with BMW, Ford, and Rivian having publicly downplayed CarPlay Ultra.

General Motors has even pulled standard CarPlay from its new EVs, taking Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC off the table.

What makes Apple CarPlay so impressive

CarPlay Ultra takes over every screen in the car, from the instrument cluster to the centre display, in one unified interface.

Climate controls, drive modes, tyre pressure, and the radio all live inside Apple’s UI. A feature called “punch through” handles anything the system can’t do natively, jumping you to the right car menu and bringing you straight back.

We tested the system in an Aston Martin DBX. The verdict was clear: “Once you’ve experienced that level of clarity and cohesion, there’s no going back.”

“It’s not just about looking nice — it’s about making the whole driving experience feel less like battling a touchscreen and more like using a great piece of tech.”

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Spencer Hart Buying Guide Editor

About

As Buying Guide Editor, Spencer is responsible for all e-commerce content on Stuff, overseeing buying guides as well as covering deals and new product launches. Spencer has been writing about consumer tech for over eight years. He has worked on some of the biggest publications in the UK, where he covered everything from the emergence of smartwatches to the arrival of self-driving cars. During this time, Spencer has become a seasoned traveller, racking up air miles while travelling around the world reviewing cars, attending product launches, and covering every trade show known to man, from Baselworld and Geneva Motor Show to CES and MWC. While tech remains one of his biggest passions, Spencer also enjoys getting hands-on with the latest luxury watches, trying out new grooming kit, and road-testing all kinds of vehicles, from electric scooters to supercars.

Areas of expertise

Watches, travel, grooming, transport, tech