The 2023 Subaru Outback adds wireless CarPlay as standard

Subaru Outback (Image credit: Subaru)

What you need to know

Subaru is giving every Outback driver wireless CarPlay — so long as they buy a new car.
The 2023 Outback supports wireless CarPlay via the 11.6-inch STARLINK entertainment system.
No pricing or availability information has been given so far.

Subaru has confirmed that it is giving all buyers of the 2023 Outback the opportunity to connect their iPhone to their car without any messy wires — each car will come with wireless CarPlay support built in as standard.

Confirmed via press release, the new Outback will ship with the latest and greatest version of the STARLINK Multimedia Plus system, complete with a large 11.6-inch touch-based display. That'll also include features like SiriusXM, HD Radio, and more.

The 2023 Outback debuts the latest version of the STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system with standard wireless Apple CarPlay® and Android™ Auto with full screen display. The system features an 11.6-inch high-resolution touchscreen with combination meter integration and improved on-screen controls for audio, HVAC, X-MODE and vehicle features. Additional standard features include new Valet Mode; Bluetooth® hands-free phone and audio streaming connectivity; AM/FM stereo; rear vision camera; SiriusXM® All-Access Radio and SiriusXM Travel Link® (4-month free subscriptions); HD Radio®; and over-the-air updates.

Subaru Outback Carplay Screen (Image credit: Subaru)

Wireless CarPlay support allows people to cast their iPhone and its CarPlay-enabled apps onto the Outback's large display without having to connect any cables. CarPlay is a great boon for people who would rather use Google Maps, Waze, or another navigation app rather than whatever their car came with.

No hard availability or pricing details have been given for the new Outback, but expectations are that we will see the lower spec models sell for around $30,000.

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too.

Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.