Coolwalk-Free Android Auto Replacement That Restores the Full-Screen Map and Step-by-Step Direction List Drivers Lost
Coolwalk's redesigned Android Auto interface has been widely criticized for shrinking the map, hiding the turn-by-turn list, and adding a fundamental Maps bug where the step-by-step direction list vanishes entirely. Driver forums (Kia, Android Central, XDA) are full of users asking for the pre-Coolwalk layout back. Existing alternatives are mostly phone-screen car launchers, not full head-unit replacements. The opportunity is an open-source or one-time-paid Android Auto-compatible projection app that ships a 'classic full-screen Maps' layout with a permanent direction list and zero card-based UI noise.
The protocol surface is what makes this hard, not the UI. Talk to the OpenAuto Pro folks before starting... they've already solved half of the projection problem for aftermarket head units, and there's a real chance to license or fork rather than rebuild from scratch.
landscape (3 existing solutions)
Google owns the Android Auto projection layer outright, but the protocol is implemented enough that an alternative launcher inside Android Auto with its own map and direction list is possible. The user demand is loud, durable, and unblocked by any well-known competitor.