Apple CarPlay arrives on Kia vehicles starting with Sportage, Optima
And for folks who already bought and took possession of these cars, a downloadable update is in the works.
It seems like ages ago that Apple announced CarPlay, the system that brings iOS touches to multiple automakers' infotainment systems. So many OEMs were named during CarPlay's initial unveiling, but it's taking quite a long time to actually get all those manufacturers on board. Kia is now the latest addition to that list.
To start, Kia will roll out Apple CarPlay to two vehicles -- the 2017 Sportage crossover and the 2016 Optima sedan. So long as either vehicle possesses the right level of infotainment system (navigation is not required), owners will be able to plug in their iPhones and have access to several on-phone apps and a very capable voice-recognition system modeled after Apple's Siri.
Vehicles will come preloaded with CarPlay starting in the second quarter of this year. If you bought one of the aforementioned models before the CarPlay rollout, you're in luck -- Kia will offer a downloadable upgrade for qualifying vehicles. However, you'll have to wait even longer, as that won't arrive until the third quarter.
Kia claims that CarPlay will expand to other automobiles in its lineup "at a later date." The brand, along with its sister marque Hyundai, have already rolled out Google's equivalent system,
Auto, to a handful of vehicles.
