A few days ago, Apple made it clear that the next-generation CarPlay isn’t dead. In fact it’s alive, renamed, and ready to roll out. It’s called CarPlay Ultra, and it looks every bit as sleek and powerful as I hoped. The Aston Martin demo is stunning. The upcoming support from Kia, Hyundai, and Genesis is exciting. But CarPlay Ultra would look just as good in some of the cars people already drive.
Take my 2021 Volvo XC40, for example. It runs on Sensus OS, the infotainment system Volvo developed in-house before switching to Android Automotive. It’s a decent interface: stable, clean, Scandinavian in its design. But like many modern infotainment systems, it feels just a few updates behind what the hardware could support.
That’s why CarPlay Ultra is so appealing. My Volvo already has two bright, high-resolution screens—a center display and a digital driver cluster. The potential to use both as part of a seamless Apple interface isn’t just exciting; it’s practical. Today, CarPlay runs in a tiny portion of the main screen, a frustrating design flaw that wastes space and breaks the immersion. CarPlay Ultra could fix that in an instant.
And this isn’t a new idea. Back when Apple introduced the original CarPlay, it didn’t limit access to car manufacturers. Companies like Sony, Pioneer, and JVC jumped in with aftermarket head units that brought CarPlay to older vehicles. I bought the Sony XAV-AX1000 twice and installed it in a 2008 Skoda Fabia and a 2007 Nissan Qashqai. To this day, it’s the best upgrade I’ve ever made to a car.
So here’s the ask: let third-party manufacturers bring CarPlay Ultra to existing vehicles. Whether it’s a certified retrofit module or a passthrough device that sits between a car’s brain and its screens, there’s a clear path here, and a clear market. Apple could create a certification program to ensure performance and privacy standards, and drivers like me would line up to buy in.
CarPlay Ultra shouldn’t be limited to people buying six-figure sports cars or brand-new crossovers. Let it trickle down. Let it live in cars like mine.
Because I’m ready for it.
Surya
May 22, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Would love to see this on my Sensus Volvo.
Will
May 23, 2025 at 1:07 am
Agreed with all of your points. I’ve got a 2019 XC60 myself and the fact standard CarPlay takes up so little space on the screen is atrocious. Hopefully the ISUDAR conversion kit gets upgraded to support CarPlay Ultra somehow — here’s the link if you’re curious.
Dan Pandrea
May 24, 2025 at 9:44 pm
I’m not sure the Isudar unit has the ability to read various car stats that should show up in CarPlay Ultra. Nevertheless, maybe they’ll come up with new hardware. Fingers crossed.