Holiday breaks are starting to kick off, when Apple and other companies tend to not make many new announcements. But theres one big update were still expecting, according to Apples website: the arrival of the first next-gen CarPlay models.Apples trend of year-end CarPlay announcementsIts been a full year to the day since Apple fulfilled its promise to announce the first next-gen CarPlay vehicles before 2023 ended. Porsche and Aston Martin were those first two announced makers.But now theres another CarPlay-related promise still awaiting fulfillment. Apples website has said for a long whileand still says to this daythat the first next-gen CarPlay models would arrive in 2024.Here we are, with very little time left in the year, and theres been no update on that front yet.Presumably, Porsche, Aston Martin, or perhaps another automaker is preparing to announce something alongside Apple before 2024 ends.Or, whats also possible is that the next-gen CarPlay launch has been delayed, and theres been no update for Apples website just yet.2024 deadline draws near, but theres still timeI keep checking Apples CarPlay page expecting to see that little bannerFirst models arrive in 2024get updated to say 2025 instead, or coming soon.So far though, nothing has formally changed. But Apple still has time. Last year it took until December 20 for the next-gen CarPlay announcement. Maybe the company plans to keep us in suspense just a little bit longer this year. Perhaps Im being too optimistic, but the lack of an update should in theory be a good thing. It indicates theres still an announcement expected.What to expect from the next generation of CarPlayAs a refresher, heres what next-gen CarPlay will bring, per Apple:This next generation of CarPlay is the ultimate iPhone experience for the car. It provides content for all the drivers screens including the instrument cluster. This ensures a cohesive design experience that is the very best of your car and your iPhone with designs for each automaker that express your vehicles character and brand. Vehicle functions like radio and temperature controls are handled right from CarPlay. And personalization options ranging from widgets to selecting curated gauge cluster designs make it unique to the driver.Even more details are available in our overview piece here.Heres hoping theres more news to report on the CarPlay front very soonand that its good news.Do you expect the first next-gen CarPlay models to still arrive this year? Let us know in the comments.Best CarPlay accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel