The automotive industry is witnessing a revolutionary shift in how we interact with our vehicles, and Apple’s CarPlay Ultra is leading this transformation. Recently rolled out in May 2025, this next-generation platform represents a quantum leap from traditional CarPlay, offering unprecedented integration between your iPhone and your vehicle’s entire dashboard ecosystem.
What Makes CarPlay Ultra Different?
Unlike the original CarPlay, which essentially mirrored your phone’s interface onto your car’s infotainment screen, CarPlay Ultra operates as a completely integrated system that takes control of your vehicle’s entire dashboard experience. This isn’t just an app running on your car’s screen – it’s a comprehensive platform that becomes your vehicle’s primary interface.
The most striking difference is the level of integration. CarPlay Ultra provides content for all the driver’s screens, including the instrument cluster, with dynamic and beautiful options for the speedometer, tachometer, fuel gauge, temperature gauge, and more, bringing a consistent look and feel to the entire driving experience. This means your iPhone doesn’t just control entertainment and navigation – it becomes the brain of your car’s entire user interface.
Revolutionary Features That Change Everything
Multi-Display Integration
The standout feature of CarPlay Ultra is its ability to span across multiple screens in your vehicle. Drivers can choose to show information from their iPhone, like maps and media, along with information that comes from the car, such as advanced driver assistance systems and tire pressure, right in the instrument cluster. This creates a seamless, unified experience where iPhone apps and vehicle data coexist harmoniously.
Deep Vehicle Control
CarPlay Ultra is integrated deeply into the car, including instrument clusters, and gives you control over everything from the climate system to the radio. The system introduces a new “Vehicle” app that centralizes control over various car functions. It features a new “Vehicle” app that houses settings for a wide variety of things, including climate, tire pressure, drive modes, and more.
The new software replaces the built-in climate control, drive mode, and vehicle settings pages with its own seamlessly integrated skins, meaning there’s no need to exit CarPlay to make adjustments to the car itself. This eliminates the jarring transitions between different interfaces that plagued earlier in-car technology.
Enhanced Siri Integration
Voice control reaches new heights with CarPlay Ultra. Drivers will now be able to control the radio, climate control, and other facilities using Siri. CarPlay Ultra supports Apple Intelligence, allowing users to interact with their vehicle in more natural, conversational ways. Users can manage vehicle functions using onscreen controls, physical buttons, or Siri. This includes standard functions like the radio and climate control, as well as car-specific features such as audio system configurations and performance settings.
Customization and Personalization
One of the most exciting aspects of CarPlay Ultra is its iPhone-level customization capabilities. The new software also allows iPhone-level customization with widgets, wallpapers, and themes. Ultra introduces a new widgets page that’s accessible by swiping right from the home page. This customizable page allows users to highlight a handful of key insights, such as time and weather-related information.
The customization extends to the instrument cluster as well. With CarPlay Ultra, drivers gain expanded customization options in the instrument cluster to better suit their driving experience. For instance, the display section can be set to show the speedometer, tachometer, or gauges (fuel, battery, temperature, etc.) alongside an active iPhone app. The interface is tailored to each vehicle model and automaker’s identity, and drivers can also adjust the color scheme.
Technical Requirements and Compatibility
CarPlay Ultra works with iPhone 12 and newer models, ensuring that users have access to the processing power needed for this advanced integration. The system requires deep collaboration between Apple and automakers, as it needs to interface with the vehicle’s various systems and sensors.
Automaker Partnerships: Who’s On Board?
The rollout of CarPlay Ultra began with a prestigious partnership. The new CarPlay Ultra starts with Aston Martin, but other brands, such as Kia and Hyundai, are on board. Apple today also revealed that three new automakers have signed on to support CarPlay Ultra in the future: Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In December 2023, Apple said that Porsche and Aston Martin would be the first automakers to support next-generation CarPlay starting in 2024.
The partnership approach makes sense given the complexity of integration required. CarPlay Ultra features deep integration with a vehicle’s instrument cluster and systems, built-in Radio and Climate apps, customizable widgets, and more, which requires extensive collaboration between Apple’s software engineers and each automaker’s vehicle systems teams.
However, it’s worth noting that Apple has a strong list of partners committed to CarPlay Ultra, but there are also big holdouts not offering support. Some major automakers have chosen to develop their own proprietary systems rather than adopt Apple’s platform.
The Road Ahead: What This Means for Drivers
CarPlay Ultra represents more than just a technology upgrade – it’s a fundamental reimagining of the relationship between smartphones and vehicles. By creating a unified interface that spans across all vehicle displays and controls, Apple is positioning the iPhone as the central nervous system of the modern car.
For consumers, this means a more intuitive, personalized, and seamless driving experience. The days of juggling between different interfaces for entertainment, navigation, and vehicle controls are coming to an end. Instead, drivers will enjoy a cohesive ecosystem where their iPhone’s apps, data, and intelligence work in harmony with their vehicle’s capabilities.
The implications extend beyond convenience. As vehicles become increasingly connected and automated, having a unified, intelligent interface becomes crucial for safety and efficiency. CarPlay Ultra’s integration with advanced driver assistance systems and its support for Apple Intelligence suggest that this is just the beginning of a new era in automotive technology.
Looking Forward
Apple first announced the existence of a next-generation CarPlay system way back in 2022, and then it all went a bit quiet until two videos were released at its 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), offering more details on what it would look like and how it would work. And now in Spring 2025 we’ve finally got our hands on it with the Aston Martin implementation.
As more automakers adopt CarPlay Ultra and Apple continues to refine the platform, we can expect to see even more innovative features and deeper integration. The foundation has been laid for a future where the boundary between smartphone and vehicle disappears entirely, creating a truly connected driving experience that adapts to each driver’s preferences and needs.
The automotive industry is at an inflection point, and CarPlay Ultra represents Apple’s vision for the future of in-car technology. For drivers ready to embrace this next generation of automotive integration, the road ahead looks more connected, intelligent, and personalized than ever before.