Hyundai Expects Apple CarPlay, Android Auto Available by First Quarter's End

Hyundai plans to roll out Apple CarPlay by the end of the first quarter, said Hyundai spokesman Jim Trainor. The technology was originally slated to debut in 2014. The Sonata midsize sedan will be the first model in the automaker’s lineup to support CarPlay.

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In addition to CarPlay, Hyundai has designed its smartphone interface to support Android Auto, said Michael Evanoff, the automaker’s manager of product planning. Both systems mirror the look and feel of a driver’s smartphone on the car’s dashboard screen.

Once launched, CarPlay and Android Auto capability will be included in new Sonatas from the factory; current 2015 Sonata owners will be able to update their cars with the smartphone interface.

The 2016 Elantra GT and Veloster, which Hyundai debuted at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show last week, now offer the same multimedia hardware as the Sonata, theoretically giving them CarPlay and Android Auto capability, too. However, Evanoff said the technology still needs to be validated for these cars before anything is released.

With just a month and a half before Hyundai’s expected launch date, look for more CarPlay and Android Auto details soon.