Kawasaki to Offer Integrated Apple CarPlay on All 2025 Ultra JetSkis

In an announcement made late last week, Kawasaki Motors USA finalized licensing agreements with Apple Inc. allowing all 2025 JetSki models equipped with Kawasaki’s full-color TFT digital dashboard to operate the CarPlay operating software. CarPlay enables a radio or head unit to be a display and controller for an iOS device, pairing the operator’s Apple iPhone to the JetSki’s existing onboard interface.

Incorporating CarPlay into the existing TFT (thin-film transistor) display places Kawasaki ahead of the industry regarding rider infotainment, allowing the operator to employ the existing jog dial to scroll through the iOS prompts effortlessly. Per Kawasaki’s announcement, only the larger 7-inch TFT dashboards will receive the CarPlay option, as they hold a higher speed processor than some smaller displays.

More than 800 automobiles come with support for CarPlay. Per Apple spokesman, Willrow Hood, “The addition of Apple CarPlay to the Ultra JetSki lineup will make for Apple’s first powersports application. This will allow operators to access Apple Maps, music, contacts, podcasts and more, similar to CarPlay applications found in traditional automobiles while out on the water.”

Identical to most CarPlay-equipped vehicles, operators will connect their iOS devices through a USB connection (found in the watertight glove box) or through the onboard wireless Bluetooth connection. Unlike automobiles, the TFT dashboard is not a touchscreen, requiring the existing jog dial and controls below the steering neck to be used to navigate the different apps and prompts.

As noted above, adding the super-popular iOS interface to the Ultra JetSki lineup pushes Kawasaki far beyond its competitors, and all without requiring any costly physical upgrades or hardware. To learn more about Apple CarPlay being made available on future Kawasaki JetSkis and whether it will work retroactively on existing Ultras, click the link HERE.