Apple CarPlay Ultra could soon be in an electric car you can actually afford

Apple first unveiled its new vision for CarPlay a couple of years ago, but rollout has proved slow. Called CarPlay Ultra these days, it relies on vehicle manufacturers to allow the software suite to replace many of an in-car's systems and screens, including the dashboard, which some seem reticent to do.

In fact, only Aston Martin has introduced CarPlay Ultra in its models to date, with new DB12, DBX, Vantage and Vanquish models supporting it, and you're looking at spending close to £200K for the privilege.

That seems to be about to change though, with another manufacturer set to join the fold, which will reportedly include Apple's system in a much more affordable electric car.

Top Gear has posted that the Hyundai Ioniq 3 will be launched during the Munich motor show next week and it'll be one of the first everyday cars to support CarPlay Ultra.

The EV is said to be a smaller form factor runaround model – sitting between the Inster and Kona in the range. It could be available at around the £25K mark, and come with a range of up to 365 miles on a charge.

Don't expect it to be the most powerful model with CarPlay Ultra – the thinking is more 0-62mph in just under eight seconds, rather than the Aston Martin DBX707's 3.3 seconds. However, it'll give us the first real-world glimpse of how Apple's next-gen car tech will operate in a more day-to-day scenario.

And considering this is a relatively entry-level electric car for Hyundai, it's likely to be just the first to feature the system. After all, the Korean manufacturer has carved a niche for itself as being an early adopter for exciting new technology.

Hopefully, we'll find out more about the Hyundai Ionic 3 at the car show from 9 September. We should also discover when it might be available to order in the UK and Europe.