Mazda bringing CarPlay to new and existing vehicles

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CarPlay
It's still unclear how long the wait will be.
Photo: Apple

Mazda has confirmed that it is bringing Apple’s CarPlay platform (and Android Auto) to new and existing vehicles.

The Japanese company made the announcement during its launch for the redesigned 2017 CX-5, but it is yet to confirm which vehicle will offer CarPlay first.

CarPlay made its debut just over three years ago, with support from the likes of BMW, Ford, Nissan, and Kia right from the off. Mazda has been quiet about its plans to adopt the platform until now, but Cars.com reports that has all changed.

Although Mazda has not offered an official timeline for its CarPlay rollout yet, it has at least confirmed it is coming. What’s more, it won’t be reserved for brand new vehicles. CarPlay “should be retroactively upgradeable onto all Mazda Connect systems with a potentially minimal hardware addition needed,” said Mazda spokesperson Jacob Brown.

Drivers can still use their iPhones to make calls and play music inside cars and SUVs that feature Mazda Connect — which has been around since 2014 — but without support for CarPlay, they cannot enjoy Apple’s own interface that will be instantly familiar to iOS users.

Mazda isn’t the only company that’s been slow to adopt CarPlay, either. Despite pledging support from the beginning, BMW — along with German rival Audi — have only just started integrating the technology into 2017 vehicles.

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