Apple CarPlay added to 2019 Subaru WRX line
Subaru's WRX sport compact, famous for its use in racing, will get Apple CarPlay support for the first time in the 2019 model year.
The standard WRX will support both CarPlay and Android Auto through a 6.5-inch Starlink interface. People driving the WRX Premium or WRX STI will get a 7-inch Starlink system by default, but people choosing the WRX Limited will have to add it as an optional upgrade, in spite of the trim being more expensive than the Premium.
Subaru has been relatively slow to grow its CarPlay lineup. It now has the platform on the Ascent, Crosstrek, Forester, and Impreza.
The 2019 WRX series will roll out to dealerships this summer. The standard WRX will cost about $28,080 after destination and delivery fees, while the Premium will start at $30,380, and the Limited at $32,680. Going for an STI will raise the pricetag to $37,480.
Subaru hasn't said whether the new cars will support wireless CarPlay. The vast majority of vehicles are wired-only however, making wireless unlikely.
CarPlay lets iPhone owners access Siri and compatible apps from a larger, more driver-friendly interface. It's available on over 400 vehicles in all, though often as an option or on more expensive cars.
The standard WRX will support both CarPlay and Android Auto through a 6.5-inch Starlink interface. People driving the WRX Premium or WRX STI will get a 7-inch Starlink system by default, but people choosing the WRX Limited will have to add it as an optional upgrade, in spite of the trim being more expensive than the Premium.
Subaru has been relatively slow to grow its CarPlay lineup. It now has the platform on the Ascent, Crosstrek, Forester, and Impreza.
The 2019 WRX series will roll out to dealerships this summer. The standard WRX will cost about $28,080 after destination and delivery fees, while the Premium will start at $30,380, and the Limited at $32,680. Going for an STI will raise the pricetag to $37,480.
Subaru hasn't said whether the new cars will support wireless CarPlay. The vast majority of vehicles are wired-only however, making wireless unlikely.
CarPlay lets iPhone owners access Siri and compatible apps from a larger, more driver-friendly interface. It's available on over 400 vehicles in all, though often as an option or on more expensive cars.
Comments
Does Apple charge a licensing fee or do they give it away?
As to Subaru, I was looking at the Crosstek about a month ago and could not get a straight answer from the dealer if it was included on all trims.
In in all cases it is/will be wired unfortunately. Would love to see wireless CarPlay and a wireless charging spot on the Subbie line-up. Took a 2019 Volvo XC40 for a test drive recently and it had a wireless charging nook but still wired CarPlay which just seems wrong. Maybe most don’t do wireless as most of the head units are both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and AA maybe doesn’t have a wireless variant (total guess as I don’t know or care about AA)...?
What are the benefits? For my use case, it's only downsides. My wife and I both own phones, and both drive the car, so I'd need to be constantly flipping between devices via the head-unit (BT audio is PITA for the same reason), and non-docked usage just drains the battery during a perfect opportunity to charge the battery. Wireless charging would help in the latter case of course, but then I'm not sure the time savings between placing the phone in a cradle, or just sticking the lightning jack in the hole are worth getting excited about.