As iOS 7 release date nears, new details about the upcoming software update are being revealed in the blogosphere. We recently reported on iOS 7 design to be very flat and feature an overhaul of default icon sets. According to a report published by 9to5 Mac, Apple is looking to introduce tighter in-car integration in iOS 7 maps and Siri.

According to people familiar with the plans, Apple is working with car makers on updated versions of car center consoles that could attach to iOS devices like the iPhone. Specifically, an iPhone could be plugged into a car and an optimized, redesigned version of Apple Maps will appear on the car’s built-in display instead of a proprietary GPS system found in many cars.

Sources have described this as a feature akin to a video-out or mirrored display representation of the iPhone’s Maps app onto the bigger screens included with most modern vehicles.

Apple introduced “Eyes Free” in iOS 6 last year and many top car manufacturers committed to integrating the feature in new car models. Chevrolet was one of the first manufacturers to integrate “Eyes Free” in Spark and Sonic models.

The report further mentions that the technology to control Maps and Siri via increased in-car integration will be included in iOS 7 however, public launch could possibly see some delay due to the need for “extensive car-based testing, improvements to apple Maps and Siri infrastructures, and deals with car makers.”

Even though these plans may sound ambitious given the fact that Apple’s mapping and Siri technologies have been under constant criticism. It appears that the Cupertino, Calif., based company is committed to making their cloud services better and expand its use outside the iOS environment.

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