- Ferrari is removing built-in navigation systems from select new models like the Purosangue and 12Cilindri.
- It argues that since their cars are not daily drivers, customers likely have a smartphone with preferred navigation apps.
- Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were infamously pricey options on Ferrari cars, but are now free of charge.
When was the last time you used a car’s in-built satellite navigation, rather than plugging in your phone and using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto? Well now, buyers of new select Ferrari models will have no choice but to use their phone for navigation.
For many years, having a car with navigation was a luxury. It then started to become much more commonplace and is generally found in even the most affordable of models. However, the rise of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto has largely made such systems redundant. I’ve never used the standard navigation in my car and rely solely on my phone. I know plenty of others who do the same.
Read: Ferrari 12Cilindri Unleashed With 819 HP V12 That Screams All The Way To 9,500rpm
Ferrari is dropping navigation from its cars, starting with the Purosangue and extending to the new 12Cilindri. There’s no expensive option to add it back in, either. While recently speaking with Australian media, Ferrari’s head of product marketing, Emanuele Carando, explained why the firm dropped sat-nav.
“We did this because we think the phone, and the fantastic mirroring of the phone, is the most user-friendly possibility, and [the] most updated system,” he told Drive. “Our cars are not used on an everyday basis, and we don’t want our clients to learn every time [they drive their Ferrari] what kind of system they have to use. They have [their] phone, they have their Apple and Google Maps [or] whatever. So [they are] the most useful things they can use on every car.”
Is this something that will disappoint Ferrari customers? We doubt it. If you’re spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on a car that’ll most likely only be driven on special occasions, you’ll probably be thinking about million-dollar business deals while driving more than wondering why you don’t have sat-nav.
The potential drawback of having a car without in-built sat-nav, even in 2024, is that if you’re in an area without a mobile signal, you won’t be able to properly load up maps through Apple CarPlay or Android Auto.
