Starting with iOS 26, Apple officially added multitouch support for CarPlay apps (confirmed on Apple’s developer website).
However, Waze still doesn’t support multitouch gestures such as pinch-to-zoom — which makes map navigation less intuitive and even unsafe while driving.

Currently, zooming in or out requires multiple taps, forcing drivers to take their eyes off the road.
This is not only inconvenient but also reduces overall safety.

It’s especially surprising because:

On Android Auto, Google Maps already supports multitouch, and it works great — smooth, natural, and safe.

Even in the Waze mobile app (without CarPlay), when the phone is mounted on the dashboard, you can easily zoom in and out with gestures. There are no + / – buttons, yet it feels perfectly intuitive.

So why does CarPlay Waze still miss this feature?

Why it matters:

Improves driver safety by minimizing distraction.

Makes Waze consistent with Google Maps and the Waze mobile app.

Takes advantage of Apple’s new CarPlay multitouch capabilities introduced with iOS 26.

Suggestion:

Please add multitouch gestures (pinch-to-zoom, pan, rotate) for Waze on CarPlay.
It’s already supported by iOS 26 and would make a huge improvement in safety, usability, and consistency across platforms.

How many cars actually support multitouch?

Far more than most people realize — multitouch isn’t some brand-new feature.
It’s been standard in many cars for years, across almost all major manufacturers:

Volkswagen Group (VW, Audi, Škoda, SEAT): since around 2014–2015

BMW: since 2015 (iDrive 5.0 and newer)

Mercedes-Benz: since 2016–2017 (NTG 5.5 and later)

Ford: since 2016 (Sync 3)

Toyota / Lexus: since 2018 (Entune 3.0 / Lexus Display Audio)

Hyundai / Kia / Genesis: since 2016–2017

Fiat / FCA / Stellantis brands (Fiat, Jeep, Alfa Romeo, etc.): since around 2016–2017 (Uconnect 4 and newer)

Renault / Nissan / Mitsubishi Alliance: since 2017–2018

Mazda: since 2018 (Mazda Connect Gen 2)

Volvo / Polestar: since 2016 (Sensus system with touch interface)

In short — millions of cars on the road today already have multitouch displays.