Hyundai and Kia announced Wednesday a partnership with electronics giant Samsung to develop a next-generation multimedia system. The aim will be for the new system to take advantage of new software capabilities offered by the group’s future vehicles.
The companies talked in their announcement about a software-defined vehicle. What this means is that the electronic architecture of said model will ensure that throughout its useful life, it will be able to benefit from updates via the air.
The new multimedia system planned by Hyundai and Kia will allow users to control many more functions of the vehicle using a smartphone than is currently possible, say. This will be made possible by the integration of Samsung’s SmartThings app, which allows for the control of multiple connected devices via a single app. To simplify the registration process, user accounts will be linked to the user’s phone account, Hyundai and Kia said.
This new generation of multimedia system will be unveiled in 2026. It is not yet known with which models it will be used, but generally, with this kind of innovation, we see everything appear with freshly designed or greatly renewed products, and the other vehicles of the brand follow as they are redesigned.
Hyundai Sonata 2024, dashboard | Auto123.com
The two companies said the new system will benefit from a series of features that will be developed internally, as well as by third parties. One of them will be a vehicle locator that will work on a global scale. It will rely on a network of hundreds of millions of Samsung phones using Bluetooth connectivity, meaning it will not need cellular coverage to work.
Features related to the user’s lifestyle and tastes, elements that go beyond the vehicle, will eventually be offered by the system. The areas of health and animal care have been mentioned by the companies.
Several details remain to come. We can guess the presence of the Android Auto application, since Samsung uses this system to operate its own devices. We will have to see for Apple CarPlay, but we can guess that compatibility will also be ensured.
We’ll talk about it again in due time.
Original content from auto123.
