One of the most popular features of a new vehicle is rapidly going extinct as major car brands opt to improve in-car technology.
According to new research from Which?, new cars offered by all mainstream vehicle brands no longer come equipped with an in-car CD player.
CD players in cars were the staple form of entertainment for decades, after succeeding the cassette player and working alongside the FM and later DAB radio.
However, data has found that a recent decision from Subaru to remove the CD player from its vehicles means the technology has gone extinct in new vehicles.
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The interior of the 2024 Subaru Forester
SUBARU
The CD player previously came as standard in the Subaru Forester mid-sized SUV, although the feature was removed in the updated 2024 model year.
Which? noted how drivers would have been able to get their hands on a new vehicle with a CD player as recently as last year, including the Subaru XV, Porsche 718 and Lexus LC.
Despite the decision to get rid of the CD player, CD sales actually increased year-on-year by 3.2 per cent in the first half of 2024.
The data, from the Digital Entertainment and Retail Association, shows that people are still happy with the use of CDs, despite many now seeing them as obsolete technology.
Drivers are still able to able to use their beloved CDs in their new vehicles, although they will require external kits which tend to plug into the car’s USB port or headphone jack.
According to Which?, the only mainstream vehicle to retain a CD player is the Isuzu D-Max pick-up truck, with three of the possible four trim levels equipped.
Prices for a CD player that can be used in a car vary, with some on Amazon costing an average of £50, although they can be more or less expensive.
Previously, Lexus was one of the final vehicle brands that offered drivers to have the chance to have a cassette player inside the vehicle with its SC model, although this was ditched in 2009.
Cassette players for vehicles work in a similar way to the CD players, by plugging into the 3.5mm headphone jack found in practically all new vehicles.
These can be far cheaper than car CD players, with one of the most popular online costing just £7, although more expensive ones are also available.
Analysis from the British Phonographic Industry found that cassette sales last year hit their highest level since 2003.
The popularity has exploded again over the last decade, rising from 3,823 in 2012 to more than 195,000 in 2022, with artists like Arctic Monkeys and Harry Styles leading the charge.
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Drivers will need an external kit to play CDs in new cars
PEXELS
The popularity of older entertainment formats has grown since the pandemic with young and older generations enjoying the novelty of collecting CDs, vinyl records and cassettes.
