Cadillac Lyriq Keeps Android Auto and Apple CarPlay as GM Drops It From Other EVs

And the Survey Says…

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto will continue to be offered in the Cadillac Lyriq, despite GM’s push to remove the features from its cars in the near future. This includes wired and wireless iterations of the popular smartphone pairing software.

According to GM Authority‘s sources, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are often cited as “must-haves” in vehicle infotainment systems. Considering the backlash the brand faced in 2023, when it first announced its decision to phase out third-party smartphone mirroring in favor of its Google-Built-In infotainment ecosystem, this is good news for shoppers still considering the 2027 Cadillac Lyriq.

What’s the Catch?

Well, that means that the Cadillac Lyriq will stand as an outlier in the GM lineup. The all-electric crossover will allegedly be the last GM EV standing with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The decision was made in contrast to GM’s broader push for its new infotainment ecosystem. Earlier this year, models like the GMCHummer EV dropped the feature entirely, introducing a new infotainment experience.

Weirder still is that the tried-and-tested smartphone pairing features are also disappearing from the Chevrolet lineup, with GM Authority reporting that the Chevrolet Silverado EV’s top-spec trim doesn’t support either Apple or Android pairing; however, the base models remain compatible.

With that being said, the consumer vote is winning at least for the Lyriq, but for how long? Considering that the Cadillac Lyriq is a high-end EV, the fact that GM is bending a little to the consumer vote doesn’t mean that it’s going to roll back its decision, at least not yet. That may not last for long as the brand has grand plans to offer a “better” infotainment and ownership experience. The move is in consideration of new driver assistance features that will be integrated with navigation and will be fully independent of smartphones.

Why is the Lyriq an Exception?

Looking at Cadillac’s lineup, the Lyriq is a critical model for the brand’s push towards electric vehicles. The mid-size Luxury SUV starts at over $58,000, putting it in contention with other luxury vehicles, all of which offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. It’s in a very popular segment now, which means that it may actually hurt the brand if it didn’t have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Brands like Tesla, on the other hand, seem to be doing fine without it, but brands like Lucid are installing these pairing systems and calling it an upgrade.

Another question is, “Is there something that GM sees that we don’t?” Considering how smartphone pairing is simply a handshake between your smartphone and your infotainment screen, it doesn’t leave much room for you to access the rest of the car. If you use the system, you can display a map, an app, or play a song; however, to access a setting or two, you’ll have to exit it and go into the vehicle’s settings, and when it comes to EVs, a lot of stuff tends to be buried behind glass. Tesla’s a prime example, opting for native apps over smartphone pairing, but that might not be everyone’s cup of tea to begin with anyway.

For right now, however, people are still voting in favor of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Why reinvent the wheel, right? Although considering the state of the auto industry now, even the wheel isn’t exempt from reinvention. The 2027 Cadillac Lyriq will still have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto for now, but for how long?