Dealers say GM's rapid adoption of Apple CarPlay is helping them sell cars
American automaker General Motors has rolled out support for Apple's CarPlay iPhone integration faster and across more models than its rivals, resulting in independent dealers reporting that the feature draws in customers and helps to close the deal in selling new cars.
Source: Wall Street Journal crediting VANDERKAAY/GMC
Apple announced its "iOS in the Car" strategy at its Worldwide Developer Conference in 2013, and subsequently launched CarPlay last March. The feature enables users to connect an iPhone while driving and get directions, make calls, send and receive messages and listen to music using voice and the built in display and controls of supported vehicles.
While Apple has reported that all major car makers have now partnered with it in plans to support integration of CarPlay, most carmakers so far have only added support to a few models, and some--including Toyota, the world's largest in unit production--appear to still be taking a wait-and-see approach.
In contrast, General Motors has--after a late start--aggressively moved to add CarPlay to 14 of its 2016 Chevrolet models and the "majority" of its Cadillac vehicles. According to a report by Mike Ramsey for the Wall Street Journal, GM now offers 27 models with CarPlay, "far more than any other auto company."
Reports from car makers, dealers, vehicle buyers and renters all fly in the face of survey research generated by J.D. Power, which recently claimed that 37 percent of respondents did not want CarPlay in their car, despite the fact that 84 percent said they wanted a "phone pairing system," listing the feature among the top five most desired automotive technology features.
Source: Wall Street Journal crediting VANDERKAAY/GMCDealers report CarPlay is selling GM's vehicles
The report noted GM as saying CarPlay as a feature "has been well received," citing executive Phil Abram as noting that customers have been 'asking for the feature for years' and that GM plans to expand it to many more models as soon as possible. Chris Hemmersmeier, the chief executive of Jerry Seiner Dealerships in Salt Lake City, Utah, told the Journal, "We've had people coming in because they've heard about it, and once they see it, they really do like it because it mirrors the look and feel of the devices they use. It's helping to close the deal once they see it." A major part of the attraction is that CarPlay offers Apple Maps in-vehicle navigation that is more familiar to users, much cheaper than automaker's own navigation systems (which typically start at around $900), and in most cases superior, in addition to being regularly updated by Apple. Gavin McGrath, a general manager of the Pat McGrath Chevyland dealership in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, said his dealership has been advertising CarPlay availability and noted specifically that it has attracted customers. "It certainly has helped us," McGrath told the Journal. "The biggest thing that it has brought to the retail front is [...] navigation is going to cost [as an option] $900, $1,000. Here you have Apple CarPlay [which GM offers as a no-cost option on vehicles with a built-in display], and boom your nav is there. That has already helped us close deals."Readers agree: CarPlay works well
Commenting on the article, reader Richard Blau stated that as an early adopter of CarPlay in his GM Yukon, "you have to give GM credit for their electronics. Much better than their natural competition. Much better than BMW or Porsche. Ridiculous as it sounds, the stereo in my Yukon sounds better than those in other, far more expensive vehicles. All should adopt CarPlay." Another reader, Brad Crystal, stated that, "having used CarPlay in a rented 2016 Chevrolet Impala last month, I can attest that it works superbly. Easily the best user interface of any in-dash infotainment system I've ever experienced in a car."Having used CarPlay in a rented 2016 Chevrolet Impala last month, I can attest that it works superbly" - reader Brad Crystal"Positively blows away the iDrive system in my BMW M4," he added. "Texting is a particularly cool feature in that it's entirely voice activated, and the voice recognition is dead-on accurate. It's as easy to send/receive texts as it is to make phone calls--with none of the obvious dangers associated with texting & driving." Reader George Andrews added, "Anyone who has NAV in their vehicle knows that you have the initial cost, then they charge you over and over with the updates. Ahhhh... Cash outflow gone. Apple rules!" In addition to updating Maps and CarPlay features as part of iOS upgrades on the user's phone, Apple also supports CarPlay feature extensions via third party apps including audiobooks and podcasts; music, sports and news radio stations; and carmaker's own apps providing access to vehicle information.
Comments
(Fix Maps to seal the deal)
BMW is starting to piss me off too. Their voice command system sucks.
In a way it's the same problem Google is having with Android.
You obviously do not have much of a clue about how the company works, and why/how it's different from Google in that respect.