The death of the in-car CD player

The in-car CD player is going the way of the cassette deck and disappearing at a rapid rate -- but not every brand is giving up on compact discs because they fear a buyer backlash.

The single slot in the dashboard is gradually being replaced by a new wave of touchscreens that mirror the display of the latest smartphones, as more people use Bluetooth or USB connections to listen to music stored on their phones.

The new apps mean everything from text messages, music and navigation can be used via the car's built-in screen or steering wheel controls -- so drivers don't need to fiddle with their phones, the fines for which exceed $400 and are up to four demerit points in some states.

The first car in Australia with built-in Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Mirrorlink apps is due on sale this week.

But it's not a mega-dollar luxury car, customarily first with the latest technology.

Rather it comes from an unlikely source: a $15,990 hatchback from the Volkswagen-owned Czech brand Skoda.

The new Skoda Fabia will lead a massive rollout of the technology on the rest of the Volkswagen line-up: from August, almost every model in the VW passenger car range will have an app-based audio system and relegate the CD player to the glovebox.

Suzuki will be next, with Apple CarPlay likely to be standard on the new generation Vitara SUV, before Mercedes-Benz introduces it on an updated version of it's A-Class hatch late in the year.

Surprisingly, Holden was among the first to drop CD players from its cars.

Certain Barina models have been without a CD player since December 2012, while the Colorado ute and SUV haven't been able to take a compact disc since November 2013.

Peugeot's 208 hatchback hasn't had a CD player since September 2012, and the Citroen Grand Picasso people mover ditched it in February 2014.

Much like the tape decks of old, the days of CD players are numbered

The most affordable version of the Hyundai i30 hatchback -- Australia's best selling car last month -- lost its CD player in April this year, and the Kia Sorento family SUV dropped it with the release of the latest model in June.

The industry is divided on the issue, with a CD player on all cars sold by market leader Toyota, number two brand Mazda, and other Top 10 players Nissan, Mitsubishi, Honda, Subaru and Ford.

European brands seem to be the most determined to leave the CD player behind.

"Much like the tape decks of old, the days of CD players are numbered," says Glenn Reid, the product manager at Citroen Australia.

"As we introduce all new models, we will progressively phase out CD players as customers move to Bluetooth streaming and USB as the primary means of taking their music with them."

Cars without CD players and when they lost them:

Peugeot 208 hatch, September 2012
Peugeot 2008 SUV, October 2013
Holden Barina CDX, December 2012
Holden Trax SUV, September 2013
Holden Colorado ute, November 2013
Holden Colorado SUV, November 2013
Citroen Grand Picasso, February 2014
Citroen Picasso, February 2015
Hyundai i30 Active, April 2015
Hyundai i30 Active X, April 2015
Kia Sorento SUV, June 2015