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- The 30-second check: does your car qualify?
- Every car with CarPlay Ultra right now
- Cars confirmed to get CarPlay Ultra next
- The 14 brands Apple named in 2022 — and where they stand
- Step 1: Match your car to the list above
- Step 2: Look for the Ultra option in your car
- Step 3: Confirm your iPhone can run it
- CarPlay Ultra vs the CarPlay in most new cars
- No Ultra? What you can add to today's CarPlay
- How this list stays current
- Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answer
As of August 2026, the only cars with CarPlay Ultra are recent Aston Martins — the DBX S, DB12, and Vanquish. Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are confirmed to add it next, likely from late 2026. No other brand ships it, and you can't retrofit it onto an older car.
I've run regular CarPlay for years — an iPhone 14 Pro, now an iPhone 16 — across a Mazda CX-5 and a Ford with an aftermarket Pioneer head unit. I don't own an Aston Martin, so this list stays honest about what actually ships versus what Apple has only announced. I update it each time a brand moves, and every claim below is either from Apple directly or clearly marked as reporting.
The 30-second check: does your car qualify?
Before you scroll the tables, run one quick check. CarPlay Ultra is built into the car — it is not a download, an adapter, or a setting you flip on an older vehicle. Answer these three:
- Is your car a 2025-or-newer Aston Martin (DBX S, DB12, or Vanquish)? If yes, you likely have Ultra or can get it from the dealer.
- Is it a Hyundai, Kia, or Genesis bought after Ultra ships to those brands? If yes, check the spec — the first models are due from late 2026.
- Anything else? Your car runs regular CarPlay, which controls only the center screen. That is not Ultra, no matter how new the car is.
Only the first two put Ultra on the table. If you landed on the third, skip to what you can add to today's CarPlay instead.
No Ultra in your driveway?
Give the CarPlay you already drive an Ultra-style upgrade.
Car Play Connect adds home-screen widgets and a custom startup sound to today's CarPlay screen — 11 widget templates and 46 built-in chimes, free to try on the App Store.
Car Play Connect: Auto Sync
4.6·2,300+ ratings·Free to try
Every car with CarPlay Ultra right now
One brand ships CarPlay Ultra today: Aston Martin. It arrived in May 2025 and stayed exclusive to Aston Martin through mid-2026. Here are the exact models and how each one gets it.
| Model | Status | How you get it |
|---|---|---|
| Aston Martin DB12 | Shipping now | Built into current-generation infotainment from the factory |
| Aston Martin Vanquish | Shipping now | Factory-fit on new orders |
| Aston Martin DBX S | Shipping now | Factory-fit on new orders |
| Recent Aston Martins | Dealer update | Current-gen infotainment cars can enable Ultra via a dealer software update |
Aston Martin builds Ultra into its current-generation infotainment, so new US, UK, and Canada orders get it from the factory. If you already own a recent model on that same system, ask the dealer whether a software update turns Ultra on for your car. There is no self-install path.
Cars confirmed to get CarPlay Ultra next
Apple reaffirmed three brands in May 2026: Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. None has shipped a model yet, but this is the group that moves Ultra past six-figure exotics. Here is where each stands.
| Brand | Status | What we know |
|---|---|---|
| Hyundai | Confirmed next | Reporting points to a Hyundai EV as the first mainstream Ultra model, expected H2 2026 |
| Kia | Confirmed next | Announced May 2026; no specific model or date yet |
| Genesis | Confirmed next | Announced May 2026; no specific model or date yet |
Treat late-2026 as a target, not a promise — Ultra has slipped before. If your next car is a Hyundai-group model, our guide to getting Apple CarPlay Ultra covers checking the spec, ordering, and turning it on the day it lands.
The 14 brands Apple named in 2022 — and where they stand
At WWDC in June 2022, Apple showed a slide of committed automakers for the next-generation CarPlay. Four years on, the gap between that slide and reality is the real story. None of those 14 brands ships Ultra today, and several have reportedly stepped back to keep their own dashboard software.
| Brand (named 2022) | Status (mid-2026) |
|---|---|
| Porsche | Shown in 2023 previews; no shipping date |
| Mercedes-Benz | Reported to have stepped back |
| Audi | Reported to have stepped back |
| Volvo | Reported to have stepped back |
| Polestar | Reported to have stepped back |
| Renault | Reported to have stepped back |
| Ford | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Lincoln | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Honda | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Acura | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Nissan | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Infiniti | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Jaguar | Named 2022; no public update since |
| Land Rover | Named 2022; no public update since |
Aston Martin, oddly, was not on the 2022 slide. Apple added it alongside Porsche in late 2023 as a launch brand, and it became the one that actually shipped. Porsche stayed in the previews and went quiet. The pattern mirrors the Tesla CarPlay saga: automakers want the iPhone's convenience without handing Apple the whole dashboard.
Step 1: Match your car to the list above
Start with the brand, not the phone. Ultra needs deep hardware integration, so the shortcut is simple: find your car in the tables above. A 2025-or-newer Aston Martin means yes. A Hyundai, Kia, or Genesis means wait for a shipping model. Any other badge means regular CarPlay only, and no update or adapter changes that.
Don't trust a dealer's loose “it has Apple CarPlay” here — nearly every new car does, and that is not Ultra. Ask specifically for “CarPlay Ultra” or the full-dashboard version that takes over the instrument cluster.
Step 2: Look for the Ultra option in your car
If your car is on the shipping list, confirm it on the screen. Open the infotainment settings and look for a “CarPlay Ultra” or full-dashboard CarPlay option — regular CarPlay alone doesn't count. The exact menu path varies by automaker, and Aston Martin's is the only one shipping today, so check the car's manual for the precise wording.
The tell is the instrument cluster. When Ultra is active, your speedometer and gauges render in an Apple-designed layout you can restyle from the iPhone. If the cluster still shows only the car's stock design, you're on regular CarPlay.
Step 3: Confirm your iPhone can run it
You need an iPhone 12 or newer on a current version of iOS. There's no separate app to buy and no subscription — the car is the real gatekeeper, but an older iPhone will still block you. On a supported car, Ultra sets up the first time you connect and accept the full-dashboard experience.
If CarPlay won't start at all on a car that should support it, that's a connection problem, not an Ultra one. Our CarPlay troubleshooting hub walks through the usual cable, port, and pairing causes.
Ultra is years away for most cars
Bring synced lyrics and widgets to the CarPlay you have today.
Car Play Connect adds Musixmatch-synced lyrics for Apple Music and Spotify, home-screen widgets, and a custom startup sound — no new car, no dealer update needed.
Car Play Connect: Auto Sync
Free to try
CarPlay Ultra vs the CarPlay in most new cars
Same iPhone, very different reach. If you're not sure which one your car has, this is the at-a-glance difference:
| Feature | Regular CarPlay | CarPlay Ultra |
|---|---|---|
| Screens it controls | Center display only | Every screen, cluster included |
| Instrument cluster | Untouched (car's own) | Apple-designed, restylable |
| Climate & radio | Exit to car's native system | Inside the CarPlay UI |
| Cars that have it (2026) | ~94% of new US cars | Recent Aston Martins only |
| How you get it | Plug in or pair wirelessly | Built into the car — no retrofit |
| Cost | Free | Free (you pay for the car) |
Want the full screen-by-screen breakdown of what Ultra changes? Our CarPlay Ultra explainercovers every difference, plus whether it's worth waiting for.
No Ultra? What you can add to today's CarPlay
If your car isn't on the list, Ultra is a preview you watch, not a feature you switch on. But the CarPlay you already drive does more than the stock layout suggests — and all of it is free to set up or free to try:
- Home-screen widgets.iOS 26 unlocked CarPlay widgets. Add glanceable weather, music, and calendar tiles — our iOS 26 widgets guide lists the ones worth the slot.
- A custom startup sound. Swap the default chime for your own — browse the startup sound library.
- Synced lyrics. Put scrolling lyrics on the CarPlay screen for Apple Music and Spotify.
The widgets and startup sound are baked into iOS and free to set up by hand; the guides above show every step. Car Play Connectbundles all three in one app — 11 widget templates, 46 built-in chimes, and synced lyrics — so you skip the manual setup. It's free to try on the App Store. Everything in our CarPlay customization hub works on regular CarPlay and Ultra alike.
How this list stays current
Ultra moves at luxury-then-mainstream speed, so this page is built to be updated, not written once. Here is the timeline it tracks, and I revise it whenever a brand ships, slips, or steps back.
| When | What changed |
|---|---|
| June 2022 | Apple unveils next-generation CarPlay at WWDC with a 14-brand slide. |
| Late 2023 | Apple names Porsche and Aston Martin as the first launch brands. |
| May 2025 | CarPlay Ultra ships for real — Aston Martin becomes the first and only brand. |
| May 2026 | Apple reaffirms Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis as the next brands to add it. |
| August 2026 | Last reviewed — still Aston Martin only; Hyundai-group models not yet shipping. |
You can always sanity-check the current state against Apple's own overview on the official CarPlay page.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many cars have CarPlay Ultra right now?
Just one brand's cars: recent Aston Martins. As of August 2026, the DBX S, DB12, and Vanquish ship with CarPlay Ultra, and some recent Aston Martins can get it through a dealer software update. No other brand sells a car with Ultra yet, though Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis are confirmed to follow.
Does my car have CarPlay Ultra?
Almost certainly not, unless it's a 2025-or-newer Aston Martin. Nearly every new car has regular CarPlay, which controls only the center screen — that is not Ultra. To confirm, open the infotainment settings and look for a CarPlay Ultra or full-dashboard option that takes over the instrument cluster. If it's not there, your car runs regular CarPlay.
Which brands dropped out of CarPlay Ultra?
Several brands from Apple's 2022 announcement have reportedly stepped back, including Mercedes-Benz, Audi, Volvo, Polestar, and Renault. Most preferred to keep their own dashboard software and its subscription revenue. Others named in 2022 — like Ford, Honda, and Nissan — have gone quiet without a formal cancellation, and none has shipped Ultra.
Will Hyundai, Kia, or Genesis get CarPlay Ultra first?
Hyundai is the most likely to ship first. Apple reaffirmed all three brands in May 2026, and reporting points to a Hyundai EV as the first mainstream Ultra model, expected in the second half of 2026. Kia and Genesis are confirmed but have no announced model or date yet. Treat late 2026 as a target, not a guarantee.
Can you get CarPlay Ultra on a used car?
Only if the used car already shipped with it — that means a recent Aston Martin. You cannot add CarPlay Ultra to a car that wasn't built for it. There is no adapter, dongle, or head unit that enables Ultra, and buying a newer iPhone won't unlock it. The vehicle's hardware is the gatekeeper.
