Hyundai and Kia today announced a partnership with electronics giant Samsung for the development of a next-generation multimedia system. The aim is for that new system to take advantage of the new software capabilities offered by the group's future vehicles.
In their announcement, the companies spoke of a software-defined vehicle. What this means is that the electronic architecture of such a model will ensure that throughout its useful life, it can receive over-the-air updates.
The new multimedia system planned by Hyundai and Kia will enable users to control many more of the vehicle's functions using a smartphone - more than is currently possible, let's say. And that will be made possible by the integration of Samsung's SmartThings application. It allows for controlling several connected devices via a single application. To simplify the registration process, user accounts will be linked to the user's phone account, say Hyundai and Kia.
This new generation of multimedia systems will be unveiled in 2026. It's not yet known which models it will be used with, but generally with this kind of innovation, we see it appear with brand-new or significantly renewed products, and the brand's other vehicles follow suit as they are redesigned.
The two companies have stated that the new system will integrate a number of functionalities developed both in-house and by third parties. Among them is a vehicle locator that will operate on a global scale. It will rely on a network of hundreds of millions of Samsung phones using Bluetooth connectivity, meaning it won't 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 companies evoked the fields of health and pet care, to name just two.
Many details are still to come. The presence of the Android Auto application is to be expected, since Samsung uses this system to operate its own devices. We'll have to see about Apple CarPlay, but we can guess that compatibility will also be assured.
More on that in due course.