Hyundai, Kia Team Up With Samsung for Future Infotainment System
The latest vehicles from Hyundai and Kia are widely considered to be among the best in the industry when it comes to infotainment. They’ll be even better a few years from now.
The two parent companies have just partnered with another South Korean giant, Samsung, to develop their next-generation system for what is known as software-defined vehicles, or SDVs, meaning those that can be constantly updated via the cloud, possibly for their entire life cycle.
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“Hyundai Motor and Kia will develop technology to organically link SDVs and the smartphone ecosystem using Samsung Electronics’ ‘SmartThings’. By integrating with the global Internet of Things (IoT) platform, they aim to enrich customers’ mobility experiences, seamlessly connecting the entire process of vehicle use to smartphones and accelerating the transition to true SDVs,” the automakers said in a statement.
Additionally, Hyundai and Kia will simplify the new member registration process by linking user accounts with Samsung Electronics. In the future, they plan to provide services optimized for customers’ lifestyles and tastes, such as healthcare, pet care and vehicle interiors, and continue to cooperate with Samsung Electronics to provide new mobility experiences.
Will any of these features and services require a subscription? That remains to be seen. And while Android is a good bet as the operating system, how will Apple fit into all of this? The announcement made no mention of it.
Hyundai-Kia’s next-gen infotainment system is set to be unveiled in 2026. However, it’s too early to tell which vehicles will get it first.
According to J.D. Power’s 2024 Tech Experience Index, Hyundai and Kia are the top mass-market brands. Genesis continues to rank highest overall and highest among premium brands.