Apple has quietly added a line on its CarPlay microsite acknowledging that it will indeed support the feature in existing cars through aftermarket systems. Specifically, Alpine and Pioneer are listed under the line “And you’ll soon be able to add CarPlay to your current car with an aftermarket system.” The companies announced earlier this week plans to update existing in-dash display systems with CarPlay compatibility through firmware updates. While the announcements had the full weight of credibility, Apple recognizing these brands specifically on its microsite is a significant development as the company has only pushed upcoming vehicles as having the feature up until now. Earlier today, Hyundai announced it will bring CarPlay to its 2015 Sonata early this summer leaving Honda the only partner committed to delivering CarPlay this year without an announcement. Other partners committed to CarPlay in 2014 include Volvo, Ferrari, and Mercedes-Benz and have already announced models with CarPlay support.
Beyond partners committed to shipping CarPlay at some point this year, Apple says it will ship CarPlay in future models from the following automotive manufacturers: BMW, Chevrolet, Ford, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Opel, Psa Peugeot Citroen, Subaru, Suzuki, and Toyota. Several new cars available for sale later this year are being announced at the New York International Auto Show where Hyundai showed off its CarPlay offering so more CarPlay news could be unveiled this month as the show continues.
