At the risk of beating a dead horse, Chevrolet deciding to ditch Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility in its electric cars has to be one of the most short-sighted moves in automotive history. As CarPlay grows to become even more expansive, buyers of Chevy’s excellent new EVs are left with no choice but to fiddle with the brand’s native interface.
It should be said: Chevy's infotainment system is excellent, CarPlay or not. The screens are big and beautiful, the graphics are crisp, and there are a ton of features. Chevy even baked some genuinely useful tools into the Google Maps interface for charging. But the system only gets better with smartphone mirroring.
| Quick Specs | 2025 Chevrolet Suburban |
| Touchscreen | 17.7 Inches |
| Instrument Cluster | 11.0 Inches |
| Apple CarPlay / Android Auto | Wireless |
| Subscription Costs | $10-$65 / Month |
The screens look lovely regardless of what’s projected onto them. In this Suburban, a massive 17.7-inch landscape display occupies the center of the dash while an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster sits just ahead of the driver. These are the two biggest screens Chevy offers in any of its cars, with smaller 11.0- and 13.4-inch screens also available throughout its lineup.
Chevy’s native graphics are modern and crisp, with a blue-tinged background that makes it all feel a bit more futuristic. Options on the home screen are arranged neatly and require only one or two taps to get you where you need to go, which means you can quickly parse things while on the move. No need to go digging.
Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice control systems both come standard, and they work about as well as any modern in-car voice command system, which is to say, hit or miss. Google Maps is the native navigation, and it’s no different here than it is on your smartphone—give or take a few tweaks to fit the larger screen. It’s completely seamless.
Pros: Looks Beautiful, Easy To Use, Seamless Maps, Many Useful Features
Of course, buyers who still want their phone projected onto the screen can do that. That’s the beauty of choice. With Apple CarPlay or Android Auto activated, the smartphone projection looks absolutely pristine atop Chevy’s massive center stack. Maybe second only to BMW, Chevy accepts the smartphone interface like no other. And it takes up the same amount of screen real estate as Chevy’s native system, too.
Blissfully, the Suburban still offers a row of tactile buttons and dials for fan speed, temperature, and window defrosting just below the middle air vents. They’re so easy to use. But, there’s also a row of touch controls at the base of the screen that offers many of those same functions, with added seat heating and ventilation, and fan adjustments. It’s the best of both worlds.
Any problems are trivial. When you’re using Apple CarPlay, there’s no home button, which means you have to scroll to the second screen and hit the "Chevrolet" app to get back to Chevy’s UI. Not a huge deal. And when you’re listening to a podcast over Bluetooth, there’s no clear "15-second rewind" or "30-second fast forward" option. But, the on-screen arrows offer the same functions nonetheless.
And then there are the costs. Chevrolet just recently updated its OnStar pricing structure for 2025, with the most basic "Connect" plan starting at $10 a month for native apps like audiobooks, music, news, and podcasts. The "Connect Plus" plan adds a Wi-Fi hotspot and in-vehicle games for $20 a month, while the most expensive "OnStar One Super Cruise" adds things like roadside assistance, stolen vehicle assistance, and Super Cruise for $65 a month. Super Cruise is otherwise a $25 per month extra on those other packages.
Cons: Expensive Subscription Costs
Beyond some very minor complaints and pricey subscription costs, Chevy’s infotainment system is probably second only to Toyota’s interface in 2025. It’s clean, it’s quick, it’s easy to use, and it has most everything you want (assuming you’re willing to pony up).
Yes, you still need Apple CarPlay and Android Auto if you want the same simplicity of a smartphone. Or, you definitely still want it at a minimum. But Chevy has done an excellent job of offering users everything they could ask for without it feeling too much of a downgrade from what’s in their pockets.
