The 2014 Civic and the 2015 Fit will each get two forms of iOS integration, Honda has announced. The most significant is Display Audio, which will let users control functions like music, calling, and navigation through gesture controls on a built-in capacitive touchscreen. Connecting will require an iPhone 5, 5s, or 5c, and one or more of four new HondaLink apps: Connect, Navigation, Aha, and Launcher. Aha provides access to Internet audio including radio, podcasts, and audiobooks, plus Twitter and Facebook updates, and listings for nearby points of interest. Launcher is used to find and launch HondaLink-compatible apps. The official Honda apps are all free except for Navigation, which costs $60.
The updated Civic and Fit will also be the first Hondas to have Siri Eyes Free as an optional factory install. The company recently announced Eyes Free support for several other cars, but only in the form of dealer installs.
Eyes Free lets drivers activate Siri on an iOS device through a wheel-mounted button. It also prevents a device’s screen from illuminating, which consumes power and can be a particular distraction when driving at night. Honda first announced plans to support iOS integration options in January 2013.
