GM's 2027 Trucks Reverse Course With CarPlay Support and Cleaner Infotainment Design

General Motors is preparing 2027 versions of its best-selling Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups with overhauled digital interfaces that signal a notable shift in the company's approach to smartphone integration. The redesigned infotainment systems abandon the visual clutter of previous generations in favor of restraint and functionality—and they restore phone casting capabilities that GM had previously eliminated from its electric vehicles.

A Cleaner Instrument Cluster#

The redesigned instrument cluster adopts a minimalist philosophy, with a permanently black background that leverages local dimming technology to remain visible in low light. Drivers can switch between several distinct display modes tailored to different driving scenarios: a simplified speedometer-and-rpm view with a customizable side panel for music and navigation; a driver-assist display highlighting Super Cruise activation; an off-road readiness screen showing vehicle angles and differential settings; and a towing-specific view. A dedicated information strip runs continuously across the bottom, showing fuel level, drive mode, and warning lights regardless of the active display.

The system includes an ultra-minimalist option that displays nothing but the vehicle's speed in large white numerals—a feature borrowed from Saab's night-mode design that prioritizes safety during low-visibility driving.

The Center Screen Gets Practical Improvements#

GM's infotainment system continues to run Android Automotive OS but now presents a split-screen home layout combining music controls with a full-size navigation map—a meaningful upgrade from earlier versions that restricted map viewing. This allows drivers to search destinations and report road conditions without exiting the map interface. Colin McCormick, a group product manager at GM, explained that "you can do everything that full-screen maps can do right inside this window."

Below the dual-app display sits a dedicated climate control row featuring both physical dials and buttons for temperature and fan adjustments, reflecting a broader return to tactile controls in automotive design. The system has also adopted Android-style notifications and quick-action buttons while improving call handling—accepting incoming calls no longer abruptly switches the driver into the dialer app.

CarPlay and Android Auto Make a Return#

In a meaningful reversal from its recent EV strategy, GM is restoring Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to these trucks. Rather than forcing drivers into a choice between the native infotainment or phone casting, the company has designed CarPlay and Android Auto to run in large tiles occupying most—but not all—of the center screen. A companion card on the opposite side provides quick access to native apps like towing information and music, even when phone casting is active. This hybrid approach, similar to Porsche's implementation, allows users to have phone and vehicle systems coexist rather than compete.