Good news if you’re waiting for CarPlay Ultra, because the new software is coming to a popular car brand in 2026. This car can be updated soon!
CarPlay Ultra
CarPlay Ultra will be available in more cars in 2026! Apple already announced the new generation of CarPlay in 2022 as part of iOS 16. Four years later, CarPlay Ultra is only available in a small number of cars. These are not cars for the general public, because they are cars from car brands such as Aston Martin. So you now have to pay a considerable amount for a car with support for CarPlay Ultra.
This will change in 2026, because CarPlay Ultra is finally coming to a popular and affordable car brand. According to the usually reliable Apple expert Mark Gurman, Hyundai Motor Group will release a car this year that works with CarPlay Ultra. This is the parent company behind several popular car brands, including Kia and Hyundai. According to Gurman, the latter will release the first car with CarPlay Ultra later this year.
Hyundai comes with a new car
Apple expert Mark Gurman expects Hyundai to release a new car with support for CarPlay Ultra in the second half of 2026. This is in line with previous rumors, because Top Gear previously shared a message about CarPlay Ultra in the Hyundai Ioniq 3EV. This is the car brand’s new car, which is expected to be announced in April. The Hyundai Ioniq 3EV will be launched later this year.
Gurman’s expectations are therefore in line with Top Gear’s earlier message. There is therefore a good chance that Hyundai will launch a car in 2026 that supports CarPlay Ultra. Gurman speaks of at least one car, which may mean that several new models will appear that work with CarPlay Ultra. The Hyundai Ioniq 3EV is probably the first and will make its official debut in April. It is still unclear whether previous Hyundai cars will also receive the update to CarPlay Ultra.
More about CarPlay Ultra
CarPlay Ultra will finally come to more affordable cars in 2026. That is good news, because the new generation of CarPlay has been expanded with many useful functions. The operating system is better integrated into the car, so that you also have access to the car’s temperature control and radio, for example. These parts cannot yet be operated via CarPlay, but this is the case with CarPlay Ultra.
You will soon no longer need physical buttons to operate the radio, air conditioning or seat heating of your car, because you can easily control this via CarPlay Ultra. This will be the case with the Hyundai Ioniq 3EV in the second half of 2026, according to both Top Gear and Mark Gurman. We will know for sure in April, that month Hyundai will present the new car. Don’t want to miss anything from CarPlay Ultra? Then sign up for our daily or weekly newsletter so you always stay informed!
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