DETROIT — General Motors is releasing a new in-vehicle information and entertainment software experience for its customers, beginning later this year with its redesigned Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickup trucks, it said Tuesday.
The Detroit automaker is touting the new user interface, controls and software as offering convenience and customization similar to a smartphone.
The new system comes as vehicles are becoming more digital. GM has also revamped its organizational processes to put its digital experience operations under design rather than software, led by former Apple and Google executive Sebastian Bauer.
“This was all part of a very strategic, very intentional restructuring to ensure that we are best positioned to create the best possible customer experience,” Bauer, GM executive director of human interface design, told CNBC. “Our job is to make sure that we reduce cognitive load, and we give people the information that they need to see at the moment when they see it.”
For example, GM designed the system to proactively surface relevant controls without requiring drivers to navigate several screens or menus. That can apply to opening or closing a garage door, answering a call or other functions.
2027 GMC Sierra 1500 Denali Ultimate.
Courtesy GMC
The system will also launch the most significant visual upgrade for GM’s Super Cruise advanced driver-assistance system, including by showing objects, such as other vehicles or pedestrians, on the driver cluster screen. The “hands-free” system did not previously provide the surroundings as many other non-GM vehicles do.
“It’s making sure, especially as you are in a hands-off situation, that you understand that the vehicle sees what is happening around it,” Bauer said.
Another major update is how the vehicles will operate with popular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto phone projection systems, which have previously caused problems for many automakers.
Instead of the Apple or Android systems taking over the entire screen, which can make it difficult to get back to other in-vehicle features, they show on part of the screen, allowing both systems to operate as needed for drivers.
GM’s new infotainment system includes an updated approach to phone projection for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with a “window-in-window” feature.
Courtesy GM
Those issues with the third-party programs have been included in third-party surveys such as J.D. Power’s 2026 U.S. Vehicle Dependability Study. The study found that infotainment and connectivity remain the least reliable parts of the vehicle across the U.S. automotive industry.
“The thought here is that these should coexist and you should get the best of both worlds,” Colin McCormick, a GM product manager overseeing in-vehicle phone projection, said during a demo of the system in a new GMC Sierra. “We’re constantly working with Google and Apple on what else we can bring to make this even better.”
GM said the system is expected to expand “across the broader portfolio” of the company’s vehicles over an undisclosed amount of time.
