In an interesting move to keep its cars on the road for longer, Honda (HMC) – Get Free Report is offering owners of slightly aged Accord sedans a piece of convenient in-car tech straight from the showroom fresh models.
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The 2018-2022 Honda Accord.
Honda
In an announcement on January 30, the Tokyo-based carmaker announced plans to offer a dealer-installed software upgrade that will enable 2018-2022 model year Honda Accords not equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with said feature.
With this feature, owners can enjoy the convenience of no longer having to plug in their smartphones to their car to enable Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Honda estimates that around 631,000 Accords are eligible for the upgrade, which will run owners $112 plus labor at their local Honda dealer.
“This quick software update enables customers to leverage hardware already in their Honda vehicle to enjoy seamless connectivity through wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto,” American Honda Sustainability & Business Development Division Vice President Jay Joseph said. “Enhancing the ownership experience and market value of Honda vehicles already in use is a key strategy in pursuit of our goal to have zero environmental impact by 2050.”
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Honda says that the upgrade will also be installed on qualifying Accords at no additional charge on vehicles sold through the Honda Certified Pre-Owned program.
The move by Honda to help owners keep the latest tech in its cars is a polar opposite to rival General Motors’ (GM) – Get Free Report controversial move. In December 2023, the automaker announced that for safety reasons, it would be dropping Apple CarPlay and Android Auto in lieu of its own connected infotainment system called Ultifi, which features a suite of fully integrated Google apps.
Honda has not announced any plans to extend such program to other models in its lineup.
TheStreet reached out to American Honda Motor Co. for further comment.
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