How to Install Apple CarPlay in a Hyundai i30

The Hyundai i30 is a great car, but the factory radio has always let it down. The menus are clunky, you don’t get proper navigation, Spotify doesn’t work how you’d want, and the small screen makes the cabin feel older than it actually is.

A new wireless CarPlay system in your i30 can fix all of that. You can actually swap the factory radio for a brand new touchscreen that runs Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, giving a bigger, sharper display and interface that actually feels modern to your i30.

We've installed these systems into more than 1,000 cars, and the i30 is honestly one of the simplest cars going to swap a radio in. 

The whole job takes only about 20 minutes, and all you need is a screwdriver and the trim tool we include in our kits, which arrives pre-assembled and ready to install. 

This guide walks through how it works and what's involved.

In the video above, we fit a complete kit into a 2015 i30 from start to finish. If you'd rather watch than read, it's all there.

Why add Apple CarPlay to your i30

The main reason people upgrade their i30 is for better navigation. Apple CarPlay puts Google Maps and Waze straight on your screen, with live traffic and proper routing, so you're not glancing down at a phone in your lap (Which in Queensland can be a fine of over $1,200).

Beyond navigation, there’s a bunch of other features that are so much better with CarPlay installed. Spotify and your podcasts run cleanly through the car, phone calls and Siri are easy to use, and the whole cabin feels way newer.

For not much effort at all, it really feels like you’re driving a brand new car.

Will it fit your i30

This kit is made specifically for the Hyundai i30, so it drops straight in without any cutting or modifications needed to your car. It works whether or not your car has a factory reverse camera, and the process is identical either way.

If you want to be sure it suits your exact year and model, the compatibility details are on our product page, or you can reach out to our customer support team and we'll confirm the right kit for your car before you buy.

What you're actually getting

You're not adding a small adapter behind the screen. You're replacing the radio with our own head unit, running our own interface with wireless Apple CarPlay at a smooth 60 frames per second and a proper Hyundai logo on startup.

These are the fastest units on the market, and you'll notice it the moment you use one. There's no lag, the screen is bright and sharp, and the fitment looks great. The screen sits slightly proud of the dash for a subtle floating effect that makes the whole interior look a lot more modern than the car that came from the factory.

Will I lose any factory features

Not at all. We retain your factory steering wheel controls, your factory reverse camera if you have one, and your factory USB port for wired CarPlay and charging.

The reverse camera is the same factory camera, but it looks far better on the bigger, brighter screen than it ever did on the little factory unit. 

And if your USB port happens to be faulty, we include a generic USB input you can route into the glove box, so you're covered either way.

How to install CarPlay into your i30

The whole installation job takes about 20 minutes for the i30, and all you need is a Phillips head screwdriver and the trim tool we include in the kit.

The unit arrives pre-assembled, so there's no wiring to sort out at the back. The only bit of setup is attaching two side brackets, which we call fins, using the four included screws. That takes about a minute. 

And unlike a lot of cars, you don't even need to run a microphone cable, because these units have an upgraded internal mic that handles calls clearly on its own.

From there it's all pretty straightforward and quick. You pop off the two silver trim pieces with the trim tool, undo eight screws, then pull the climate panel and radio out together. 

There are only three plugs to disconnect behind the radio. You connect those same three to the new unit, which are keyed so they only fit one way, then map your steering wheel buttons through a simple on-screen menu that takes a minute. Screw it in, click everything back together, and you're done.

The part most people get wrong

Here's the thing worth understanding before you buy any unit, from anyone.

A lot of the systems sold online are drop-shipped. The seller never handles the product, can't help you when something goes wrong, and you're left chasing support overseas. The units often look similar to ours in a photo, but the experience after you buy is worlds apart.

At Get Car Tech, we do it differently. 

These are our own system, and we ship them pre-assembled from our workshop right here in Australia. We don't drop ship. Every kit comes with a detailed private tutorial video that doesn't skip a step, you get genuine Australian phone support if you get stuck, and the whole thing is backed by our Successful Install Guarantee. It's a properly risk-free purchase.

More than just CarPlay

CarPlay is the main event, and these units run it brilliantly, but there's more built in.

• There's wireless screen mirroring, so you can throw YouTube, Netflix or anything else off your phone onto the screen. 
• There's a built-in amplifier and DSP chip that pulls a surprising amount of extra life out of your factory speakers, so the whole system sounds noticeably better when you turn it up. 
• And there's USB media playback and an input for a dash or front camera if you ever want to add one.

DIY, or let us handle it

Most people fit these themselves, and between the pre-assembled unit and the step-by-step video, it's about as easy as a DIY install gets.

But if you'd rather not do it yourself, our team at our Brisbane workshop can fit it for you. Just give us a call or text for a quote.

Either way, you end up in the same spot: a sharp, modern CarPlay system in your i30, done right the first time. That's what we're about here at Get Car Tech. CarPlay, the easy way.