Mazda Announces CarPlay Support for 2018 Mazda6 - MacRumors
Skip to Content

Mazda Announces CarPlay Support for 2018 Mazda6

At a press event at the New York International Auto Show this afternoon, Mazda announced plans to bring CarPlay to its vehicle lineup for the first time.

The new 2018 Mazda6 will be the first Mazda vehicle to offer support for both CarPlay and Android Auto in the United States, with Mazda planning to introduce the feature this summer.

The CarPlay announcement is at 5:59 in the video

CarPlay will be available as an upgrade option on all 2018 Mazda6 models with Touring trim level and above, and customers who have already purchased a Mazda6 when CarPlay compatibility rolls out will be able to get the feature added to their vehicles.

Mazda's press event did not mention CarPlay support for other vehicles, including the newly announced CX-3, which has left some Mazda owners upset that Mazda did not make it clear whether or not CarPlay would be available in older Mazda vehicles, a feature Mazda has promised in the past.

A press release on the Canadian Mazda site offers up additional CarPlay information, but it is not yet clear whether it also pertains to the U.S., and we've asked Mazda for clarification. Mazda's Canadian site says CarPlay will be added to the 2019 CX-9 and then made available as a retrofit for Mazda Connect systems this fall.

During the press conference, Mazda also announced the addition of Apple CarPlayTM and AndroidTM Auto support to its vehicle line-up. In Canada, these mobile device connectivity technologies will first be offered in the 2019 CX‑9 launching this summer, and then rolled out across the entire model line-up thereafter. In addition, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will be available as a Genuine Mazda Accessory retrofit for MAZDA CONNECT systems starting this fall.

Mazda has been promising to add CarPlay support to its vehicles for quite some time and has been listed as a CarPlay partner since CarPlay's 2014 debut. Mazda said as recently as January that it's still committed to CarPlay despite the fact that the feature has yet to become available in Mazda cars.

In March of 2017, Mazda said that CarPlay, when introduced, would be "retroactively upgradeable onto all Mazda Connect systems with a potentially minimal hardware addition needed." Mazda Connect was first introduced in Mazda vehicles in 2014, which means quite a few Mazda vehicles will be eligible for the upgrade should Mazda make good on its promise.

CarPlay was slow to roll out, but since 2016, auto manufacturers have been adopting it at a rapid pace. CarPlay is now available in over 300 car models from a wide range of manufacturers.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

Popular Stories

Apple HomeView lineup feature5

Apple HomeView Has These 15 Apps, Some CarPlay Apps and Widgets Also Supported

Wednesday October 14, 2026 9:03 am PDT by
Apple's tech specs page for its all-new HomeView smart home hub contains a list of all of the built-in Apple apps available on the device. While it has no App Store, the HomeView can also display CarPlay-enabled audio and video apps from a paired iPhone. This includes Audiobooks, Apple Music Classical, Apple News, and Apple TV, along with third-party apps such as Spotify, according to WIRED. ...
iOS 28 AI

Apple Taking New Approach to Developing iOS 28 and macOS 28

Sunday November 8, 2026 7:42 am PST by
Apple has made a change to its development process for iOS 28, macOS 28, and corresponding software updates, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In his Power On newsletter today, he said Apple separates development of each year's new operating systems into three major stages. Typically, he said each stage consists of four weeks of coding followed by a four-week "convergence" period where...
apple pro tell logo

Apple Launching Two More New Products This Friday

Monday November 9, 2026 4:22 am PST by
The Apple launches keep coming! The company is set to release two new products on Friday, November 13: the all-new Apple HomeView and the fourth-generation Apple TV 4K, both of which have been available to pre-order since mid-October. Apple HomeView: Apple's new smart home display, powered by Apple Intelligence with Siri AI, for entertainment and managing the home. Available in tabletop and...

Top Rated Comments

ghostface147 Avatar
113 months ago
Will my 1976 Mazda support car play?
Yes, with a modern head unit.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
113 months ago
Kudos to Mazda. They're one of the few companies that still make cars that are actually fun to drive, and retroactive support for older models is never a bad thing.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
113 months ago
It is my belief that Mazda USA president Masahiro Moro misspoke during the press event today. The 2018 Mazda6 models are ALREADY hitting dealers or they are about to hit dealers (they started arriving in port last week). These existing 2018 Mazda6 models do NOT yet have CarPlay. Further, I was told that Mazda won't be adding the necessary hardware for CarPlay (I think they mean the Apple MiFi chip) to production 2018 Mazda6 models until this Summer. Then next, existing 2018 Mazda6 models will be upgraded (yes, partly a hardware upgrade plus software) to feature CarPlay. After that, the same hardware/software upgrade will be available to all Mazda models and years that have Mazda Connect infotainment systems (the "retrofit" that the Mazda Canada press release mentions).

I'm told the hardware change will be the module that contains the SD card slot (for navigation), the 2 USB ports, and the AUX input port. That little module is identical in shape and design between all Mazda models with Mazda Connect infotainment. Dealerships will probably charge a fee to remove the old USB module and replace it with the upgraded module and install the new firmware/software.

Clearly, Mazda Canada did a better job with their press release. I'm hoping Mazda North America (USA) issues a press release to clarify the situation.

Mark
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HiRez Avatar
113 months ago
Good grief, it's about time. I bought another car last time (Honda Civic) because it supported CarPlay and no Mazdas did. Since I liked the two cars roughly equally, that was the determining factor. Mazda literally lost a ~$30K car sale because of dragging their feet on this.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
avatar77 Avatar
113 months ago
On the contrary, last year they said support was coming so I purchased a Mazda3 in good faith. My mistake it seems.
Unfortunately, I long ago learned the hard way that you have to assume that any tech purchase will come only with the features installed at the time of purchase. Promised additional features or upgrades have a nasty habit of never materializing, poor implementation, or coming so late they are irrelevant.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
dogslobber Avatar
113 months ago
Will my 1976 Mazda support car play?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Latest Stories
'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20
'Apple Support Community' Permanently Closing on November 20
6 hours ago
Apple's Holiday Gift Guide Highlights iPhone Duo and More
Apple's Holiday Gift Guide Highlights iPhone Duo and More
8 hours ago
Three Workers Die at Tata iPhone Parts Plant in India
Three Workers Die at Tata iPhone Parts Plant in India
9 hours ago
iCloud Mail, Calendar, Contacts and More Experiencing Outage [Updated]
iCloud Mail, Calendar, Contacts and More Experiencing Outage [Updated]
10 hours ago
Apple's Claris Testing 'Harbor' App for Local AI on Macs
Apple's Claris Testing 'Harbor' App for Local AI on Macs
10 hours ago
iFixit's PROLED MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Logo LEDs
iFixit's PROLED MacBook Pro Teardown Reveals Logo LEDs
11 hours ago
10 Free iPhone Duo Apps Worth Downloading
10 Free iPhone Duo Apps Worth Downloading
13 hours ago
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
Apple Releases New AirPods Firmware
13 hours ago
Amazon Begins Early Black Friday Sale, Featuring Sitewide Discounts on Tech and Decor
Amazon Begins Early Black Friday Sale, Featuring Sitewide Discounts on Tech and Decor
16 hours ago
Apple Announces Swift Student Challenge Ahead of WWDC 2027
Apple Announces Swift Student Challenge Ahead of WWDC 2027
16 hours ago
Next iPad Air Likely to Have These 10 New Features
Next iPad Air Likely to Have These 10 New Features
16 hours ago
iPad Mini 2021 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: Is It Worth Upgrading?
iPad Mini 2021 vs. 2026 Buyer's Guide: Is It Worth Upgrading?
16 hours ago
New Apple TV Sign Language Feature Announced
New Apple TV Sign Language Feature Announced
16 hours ago
Disable Touch on MacBook Pro PROLED XDR and When Using Sidecar
Disable Touch on MacBook Pro PROLED XDR and When Using Sidecar
17 hours ago
Anker's Early Black Friday Sale Surprises With Mystery Boxes and Big Discounts
Anker's Early Black Friday Sale Surprises With Mystery Boxes and Big Discounts
17 hours ago
Apple Arcade Adding These Four Games in December
Apple Arcade Adding These Four Games in December
18 hours ago
OLED iPad Air Rumored to Launch in Two Sizes in Early 2027
OLED iPad Air Rumored to Launch in Two Sizes in Early 2027
20 hours ago
The Original iPod Went on Sale 25 Years Ago Today
The Original iPod Went on Sale 25 Years Ago Today
20 hours ago
Apple Maps Could Factor Parking Into Your Arrival Time
Apple Maps Could Factor Parking Into Your Arrival Time
21 hours ago
Waze Now Alerts Drivers to Nearby Cyclists Using Garmin LiveTrack
Waze Now Alerts Drivers to Nearby Cyclists Using Garmin LiveTrack
21 hours ago
iPhone 20 Pro: Ten Big Changes That Could Redefine Apple's Flagship
iPhone 20 Pro: Ten Big Changes That Could Redefine Apple's Flagship
22 hours ago
Here's What Apple Fixed in iOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1
Here's What Apple Fixed in iOS 27.2.1 and macOS 27.2.1
1 day ago
Webex Gets iPhone Duo Support
Webex Gets iPhone Duo Support
1 day ago
Meta's Muse AI Agent Comes to Apple Watch
Meta's Muse AI Agent Comes to Apple Watch
1 day ago
Anker Launches Eufy Security Cam With Auto-Tracking Light
Anker Launches Eufy Security Cam With Auto-Tracking Light
2 days ago
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
macOS 27.2.1 Fixes eMudhra Certificate Flaw in Command-Line Tools
2 days ago
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
Anthropic Launches Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2
2 days ago
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
Apple Releases macOS Golden Gate 27.2.1
2 days ago
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
Apple Releases iOS 27.2.1 With Bug Fixes
2 days ago
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
Apple Releases watchOS 27.2.1 and visionOS 27.2.1 With Security Fixes
2 days ago