Which Cars Got Apple CarPlay in 2021?

50 car models across 26 makes first appear on Apple's CarPlay list with the 2021 model year. That is what this page lists, taken from Apple's own list of available models as it stood on September 15, 2026. The make that added the most in 2021 was Lexus, with 8. By the end of 2021, 716 models in total were on the list.

"First appears with the 2021 model year" means Apple lists CarPlay as available on that model from 2021 onward. It does not mean every 2021 car of that model has it: Apple's footnote says CarPlay "is either standard or available as an option," and "some models may support CarPlay or car keys only in certain configurations." Your trim decides, and the plug test below settles it in a minute.

Cars added to Apple's CarPlay list in 2021

How to check a 2021 car you are looking at

Plug an iPhone into the car's USB port with a cable. If CarPlay appears on the screen, that car has wired CarPlay and that port is the data port. If the phone connects with no cable and no port launches CarPlay when plugged in, it is wireless-only. If nothing appears either way, that particular car does not have CarPlay whatever the model-year list says, which on a used 2021 car usually means a base trim.

The difference matters if you plan to add anything: a wireless CarPlay adapter, an AI Box that puts Android apps on the screen, or a back-seat camera that shows on the car's display all plug into the wired CarPlay port. A wireless-only car has no port for them. If you are weighing the first two, an adapter or an AI Box comes down to how often you sit parked with the screen on.

Buying a used 2021 car?

Three things worth doing before you agree a price. Run the plug test yourself rather than trusting the listing. Ask whether the head unit has had any dealer software updates, because some makers added CarPlay to earlier model years after the fact. And if the car is not on this list at all, check the full list of every make and model, since a different model year of the same car may well be on it.

Questions we get

Which cars got Apple CarPlay in 2021?

50 models from 26 makes, listed above. Alpine, Aston Martin, Audi, BYD, Buick, Dacia and others all have at least one model that first appears with the 2021 model year.

Does every 2021 car on this list have CarPlay?

No. The list is by model and year, and within a model year it can still depend on trim. Apple says so in its own footnote. Plug an iPhone in with a cable to find out about a specific car.

My 2021 car is not on this list. Can it still get CarPlay?

Possibly. Check whether the same model appears under a different year first, since the list is by model-year range. Beyond that, a dealer software update or an aftermarket head unit can add CarPlay to a car Apple never listed, and Apple's list would not show either.

Other years

Sources