Apple's CarPlay coming to Volkswagen models later this year

Posted:
in iPhone edited March 2020
German auto giant Volkswagen on Monday unveiled plans to incorporate Apple's CarPlay in next-generation infotainment systems, saying the iOS-derived feature will come included with select models this year.




For VW, the CarPlay initiative will see introduction alongside MirrorLink, the company's in-house solution for integrating smartphone apps and layouts offered by various handset makers, and Android Auto. All three systems are to run on VW's second generation modular infotainment platform (MIB II) when it launches in late 2015.

Volkswagen has yet to disclose system pricing or an exact release date for MIB II and CarPlay, but the auto maker plans to make the technology available in both Europe and the U.S.

When Apple introduced CarPlay last March as a rebranding of the "iOS in the Car" project, Volkswagen was noticeably absent from an initial list of supporting car manufacturers that included Ferrari, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, BMW, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai Motor Company, Jaguar, Land Rover, Kia, Mitsubishi, Nissan, PSA Peugeot Citron, Subaru, Suzuki and Toyota.

Apple's much-anticipated in-car iOS solution grants users access to iPhone functions like music, navigation, messages, phone and more via specialized physical and onscreen car controls. Looking to minimize distractions, CarPlay features a steering wheel-mounted Siri button for voice control, large iOS-styled icons and app integration.

As CarPlay-enabled vehicles are just now rolling off assembly lines, aftermarket solutions like Pioneer's AppRadio 4 and Alpine's iLX-007 head units have gained in popularity, though the system has yet to gain significant traction with car buyers and owners.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 20
    bloggerblogbloggerblog Posts: 2,462member
    Great news!! I hope I'll be able to update my 2013's Golf R system. I've flirted with aftermarket systems, like Alpine, but didn't like their cheap look.
  • Reply 2 of 20
    simtubsimtub Posts: 277member

    I rented a brand new BMW 320D over Christmas in the UK and for 10 days I used its built-in sat nav, blue tooth connectivity features for phone calls and also USB connection for iPhone to play music. It worked flawlessly on all counts and the jog dial was very intuitive. Album art from both iTunes and Spotify both came up on the display including title tracks whilst volume and play back was controlled via steering wheel buttons.  How does CarPlay add additional functionality to current systems other than the Apple experience? 

  • Reply 3 of 20
    schlackschlack Posts: 719member
    eh, i'd prefer actual buttons and knobs over touch when driving. don't want to look at a screen.
  • Reply 4 of 20
    jwbljwbl Posts: 5member
    Great news!! I hope I'll be able to update my 2013's Golf R system. I've flirted with aftermarket systems, like Alpine, but didn't like their cheap look.

    I wouldn't hold my breath if I were you. There are several good looking aftermarket head units that look great, unfortunately it is the adapter kits that make them fit into the vehicle openings that look cheap to me. I have used several in different vehicles and have never been happy with the look and feel of them. It also seems that the auto manufacturers keep making it more and more difficult to fit aftermarket units. Too bad there isn't a aftermarket software solution available for the factory units.
  • Reply 5 of 20
    blazarblazar Posts: 270member
    What irritates me is that the apple experience for itunes is still broken...

    There are so many errors in the way the ipod sorts your music library from itunes.

    Lack of multiartist and multigenre tagging is so a nuisance.

    They should fix all that crap and then the in car experience will fix itself.

    Apple maps is still only moderately functional and still has massive numbers of errors.

    Siri works sometimes but misses anything you say in any other language except english (such as restaurant names in other languages).

    You can go on and on and on...

    Compared to the in car experience in my Jeep, the audi system is vastly inferior junk interface (both top of the line 2015 cars)

    My brother bought a 2010 audi R8 and the "bang and olofson" sound system in it is catastrophically poor quality... What the hell.

    Car manufacters put out such a terrible user experience its laughable, but apple can still do a lot better than they are doing.
  • Reply 6 of 20
    f1turbof1turbo Posts: 257member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post







    As CarPlay-enabled vehicles are just now rolling off assembly lines, 

     

    What vehicles would those be?

  • Reply 7 of 20
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    schlack wrote: »
    eh, i'd prefer actual buttons and knobs over touch when driving. don't want to look at a screen.

    My wife just tells Siri what to do on her 2014 Lexus, she has knobs to twiddle but rarely does. Meanwhile my beloved 2007 V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited I have had from its birth and will keep till one of us croaks has a 6 CD changer :) I wonder if there is anything I can do to bring my Jeep up to speed?
  • Reply 8 of 20
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    About time, Volkswagen AG.
  • Reply 9 of 20
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by schlack View Post



    eh, i'd prefer actual buttons and knobs over touch when driving. don't want to look at a screen.



    Siri is easiest (once you get used to it), but you do have buttonsTLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0hey should bender , righ

     

    Yep. That's right. That's how well the AI comments section interface works.

    Screw it…. Not even worth it.

  • Reply 10 of 20
    jwbljwbl Posts: 5member
    bobschlob wrote: »

    Siri is easiest (once you get used to it), but you do have buttonsTLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0hey should bender , righ

    Yep. That's right. That's how well the AI comments section interface works.
    Screw it…. Not even worth it.

    Plug in your phone and try "hey Siri" ????
  • Reply 11 of 20
    bobschlobbobschlob Posts: 1,074member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by JWBL View Post

     
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by BobSchlob View Post





    Siri is easiest (once you get used to it), but you do have buttonsTLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0TLV-11 - unrecognized OID;CM-MAC=38:6b:bb:dc:e5:5d;CMTS-MAC=00:17:10:88:30:da;CM-QOS=1.1;CM-VER=3.0hey should bender , righ



    Yep. That's right. That's how well the AI comments section interface works.

    Screw it…. Not even worth it.




    Plug in your phone and try "hey Siri" ????



    Ok, that was funny.

  • Reply 12 of 20
    simtub wrote: »
    I rented a brand new BMW 320D over Christmas in the UK and for 10 days I used its built-in sat nav, blue tooth connectivity features for phone calls and also USB connection for iPhone to play music. It worked flawlessly on all counts and the jog dial was very intuitive. Album art from both iTunes and Spotify both came up on the display including title tracks whilst volume and play back was controlled via steering wheel buttons.  How does CarPlay add additional functionality to current systems other than the Apple experience? 

    Nonsense. The BMW system is pathetic overall (sadly, though, better than that of either Audi or Lexus). BMW has a voice command system that is not only useless, but annoying. I've lost track of the number of times I've turned on my iPhone and used Siri (via Bluetooth) instead of their voice commands. The built in storage system for music is primitive. For example, try editing or putting in the names of tracks, or creating a playlist. You can't. BMW's 'apps' and search functions are a joke. I could go on.

    In case you're wondering, I absolutely love the car -- it's by far the best I've owned and the most fun to drive. But the user interface for the their electronics is frustrating and limited in functionality. Maybe it was state of the art in the 1990s.

    The next car I buy will have CarPlay, or I'll keep my current vehicle until the make/model I want offers it. Period.
  • Reply 13 of 20
    About time , I think the last line is interesting saying it hasn't gained traction , I mean really it hasn't really been available , but this is one of my considerations for a new car purchase . So bring on the choices .
  • Reply 14 of 20
    formosaformosa Posts: 261member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by blazar View Post



    My brother bought a 2010 audi R8 and the "bang and olofson" sound system in it is catastrophically poor quality...

     

    The engine sound is the only thing you should be listening to in an R8... :D

     

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by anantksundaram View Post



    The next car I buy will have CarPlay, or I'll keep my current vehicle until the make/model I want offers it. Period.

     

    I've come across more people lately who's next car purchase is partially or completely revolving around CarPlay availability. This is huge once the car manufacturers realize this. Or at least the car manufacturers can offer a QNX-based "open console" hardware platform that allows CarPlay, Android Auto, or whatever. Then let the UI from your own personal phone be the differentiator. Don't let the car manufacturer's hardware/software MMI (which is always obsolete) be the differentiator.

  • Reply 15 of 20
    auxioauxio Posts: 2,717member

    Good to hear that the different divisions of the VAG finally started working with each other.

  • Reply 16 of 20
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by AppleInsider View Post

    As CarPlay-enabled vehicles are just now rolling off assembly lines, aftermarket solutions like Pioneer's AppRadio 4 and Alpine's iLX-007 head units have gained in popularity, though the system has yet to gain significant traction with car buyers and owners.

     

    This is rediculous.  You can't expect something like Carplay to be available everywhere as soon as it is announced.  Car manufacturers put years into development of new vehicles, so it takes time to get stuff like this implemented.  This is why we haven't seen it in as many new cars so far, it must be a little bit more difficult to get the software up and running on the current head units that the manufacturers are using so they are taking a bit more time to get it working right before they release it.

     

    As far as aftermarket units go, those manufacturers usually release new units in the spring each year, so they would have come out with all their new stuff before Carplay was even announced.  So they would have had to have been working with Apple ahead of time to have units ready, or be lucky enough to get it to work on currently planned hardware in order to make it available.  I'm guessing this spring/summer we will start to see a lot more units available with Carplay compatibility when the new lines are released.  I'm really hoping to see a new unit from Kenwood as it might finally convince me to upgrade my old DNX6019.

  • Reply 17 of 20
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    I love my Jetta, but the radio system stinks compared to my girlfriend's Ford Escape system.

    Further, the build in navigation system would be a lot better with Apple Maps.
  • Reply 18 of 20
    tbelltbell Posts: 3,146member
    blazar wrote: »
    What irritates me is that the apple experience for itunes is still broken...

    There are so many errors in the way the ipod sorts your music library from itunes.

    Lack of multiartist and multigenre tagging is so a nuisance.

    They should fix all that crap and then the in car experience will fix itself.

    Apple maps is still only moderately functional and still has massive numbers of errors.

    Siri works sometimes but misses anything you say in any other language except english (such as restaurant names in other languages).

    You can go on and on and on...

    Compared to the in car experience in my Jeep, the audi system is vastly inferior junk interface (both top of the line 2015 cars)

    My brother bought a 2010 audi R8 and the "bang and olofson" sound system in it is catastrophically poor quality... What the hell.

    Car manufacters put out such a terrible user experience its laughable, but apple can still do a lot better than they are doing.

    When you say things like Apple Maps is only moderately functional (at least in the US) you lose credibility. Apple Maps has come a long way since arrival and might not have all the point of interest data as Google's product, but it performs very well in terms of giving driving directions.
  • Reply 19 of 20
    schlack wrote: »
    eh, i'd prefer actual buttons and knobs over touch when driving. don't want to look at a screen.

    My wife just tells Siri what to do on her 2014 Lexus, she has knobs to twiddle but rarely does. Meanwhile my beloved 2007 V8 Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited I have had from its birth and will keep till one of us croaks has a 6 CD changer :) I wonder if there is anything I can do to bring my Jeep up to speed?

    Try adding a turbocharged carburetor... that should do it.
  • Reply 20 of 20
    Originally Posted by schlack View Post

    eh, i'd prefer actual buttons and knobs over touch when driving. don't want to look at a screen.

     

    “Hey, Siri, do what I want.”

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