Mazda cars will soon have smartphone interface support with the addition of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration to its MZD Connect infotainment system, which has been one of the major automakers to be partners for both platforms yet not offer offer it in current cars.
The reveal is a welcome one for sure for Mazda owners, especially so as it would seem that most Mazdas with the MZD Connect system not need much more than a software update for it to start working.
Cars.com reported at the North American launch for the all-new second-generation CX-5 that Mazda spokesperson Jacob Brown said it should be retroactively upgradable to all cars equipped with the current generation infotainment system with “potentially minimal hardware addition needed”.
The MZD Connect system uses a centrally mounted touchscreen display and a control knob behind the gear shifter in much the same fashion as BMW’s iDrive which only quite recently added support for Apple CarPlay with the addition of the upgraded touch-enabled iDrive introduced starting with the new 6th generation 7 Series.
MZD Connect, though, has always used a dual input approach, with the interface accepting both touch and the control knob for interface manipulation, leading some to suspect as to the reason why Mazda is only starting to adopt the software now as their hardware did not pose a hurdle like BMW’s did.
Not much else was revealed aside from the arrival of tighter smartphone integration by way of support for those two platforms. Other details such as which models will be updated along with a more detailed timeline for the rollout also were not mentioned.
This leaves Toyota as the only major automaker to not breathe a word yet about including support for CarPlay or Android Auto.
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