Apple CarPlay Ultra Is a Whole New Way to Use Your Car

• Full integration of Apple's Aston Martin-themed user experience.
• Deep customization: Drivers can choose where information from their phone or the car is displayed.
• Ultra offers a familiar Apple look across all screens but with automaker-specific themes.

Apple and Aston Martin announced the debut of the latest version of CarPlay, called Ultra, on the Aston Martin DBX SUV. In essence, CarPlay goes from being a phone-mirroring function to being fully integrated into nearly every element of the vehicle's user interface. 

It comes out first in Aston Martins starting today, but other early adopters like Hyundai, Kia and Genesis will get it soon. Apple says carmaker-specific customization will be offered to every manufacturer that chooses to adopt Ultra. 

Ultra combines information from its host vehicle with its own interface and displays it all through a familiar Apple lens. That means that even controls like the HVAC system now have an Apple look when Ultra is in use, though they maintain functionality specific to the Aston DBX.

On the DBX, CarPlay can display maps and media as well as car-specific information like tire pressure and driver assistance features in the instrument cluster. Widgets can now be added to the touchscreen to access specific information quickly. Some functions, including audio and climate controls and some performance settings (like Sport mode), can be accessed using the touchscreen, physical buttons or through Siri.

Ultra's customization is sweeping. Apple worked with Aston Martin to develop multiple Aston Martin-themed gauge designs and instrument cluster themes. Templates for each gauge display allow drivers to select their preferred colors and wallpapers. On the DBX, those range from traditional analog-style meters to modern progress-bar-style sliders. 

The entirety of the instrument cluster can be used to display a navigation map, similar to Audi's Virtual Cockpit. Or it can simply show a colored wallpaper background with a small digital speedometer.

The bottom line here is that native navigation and other user experience functions that were previously designed by the carmaker can now be moved into an Apple universe. And that can happen while maintaining the automaker's identity. Adopting Ultra will likely save manufacturers time and money while coupling their tech with a well-established and wildly popular brand. We think it's likely to be the way forward for many.

CarPlay Ultra is standard on the DBX and in the Vantage, DB12 and Vanquish models going forward. It will also be offered as an update on some existing models. It requires an iPhone 12 or newer and must use iOS 18.54 or later software. It connects wirelessly or through a cable.