Hyundai Sonata Is The First Production Car With Android Auto

 Automotive  

While Google may be still working out whether or not to build their own self-driving car, the company is still making inroads into the automotive space. The 2015 Hyundai Sonata is the first mass-produced vehicle available with the optional navigation and tech package, Android Auto.

Considering that there is a definite trend towards in-car connectivity in the global auto industry, tech companies are bound to see a much bigger presence in vehicles in the future. The battle to take over the car dashboard is expectedly going to be fought between Google and Apple, two of the world's largest information technology companies, which have been developing connected car technologies for a while now.
Even though most auto industry observers predict that neither of them will be able to become the dominant in-car platform in the near future, it seems that Google's in-vehicle operating system has won the race to be the first to hit the road, with Hyundai announcing that Android Auto is now available in the 2015 Sonata.

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This makes Hyundai the first car manufacturer to offer Android Auto in a mass-produced car, which means that the South Korean automaker has opted for Google's platform, unlike most of its competitors, whose car dashboards are expected to be compatible with both Google's and Apple's operating systems.

Hyundai said that those who own a 2015 Hyundai Sonata will be able to get Android Auto on their cars' dashboards by obtaining software upgrade from their local dealer, and in a couple of months, they will be able to download the software from the car maker's website themselves and install it into their cars using a USB drive. The company says that it only takes about 45 minutes to perform the update.

After having the software installed in their cars, Sonata owners will be able to connect their Android-powered smartphones to the car's dashboard by plugging them into the dashboard's USB port, which will lock the smartphone's screen and project the phone's apps onto the car's 8-inch navigation touch screen. Once a smartphone is tethered to the dashboard, the driver can use various apps while the vehicle is in motion, either via voice controls, through controls mounted on the steering wheel, or through the in-dash screen's touch controls. Drivers will get to make phone calls, send and receive text messages, use Google Maps navigation service, and access certain third-party apps, most of which offering music streaming services, such as Spotify.

"The goal is to provide a smarter and safer way to use smartphone technology and convenience in cars. Android Auto helps us reach that goal."

This way, drivers get to use most of their smartphones' features without taking their eyes off the road and without having to touch their devices. That was exactly what both Google and Apple wanted to achieve by developing their in-car platforms – allowing drivers to use their smartphones and stay connected at all times without putting their own safety or the safety of others at risk.

“Android Auto’s clean and intuitive interface is a perfect match with Hyundai Motor Group’s interior design approach,” said Paul Choo, director, Silicon Valley Accelerator Lab. “The goal is to provide a smarter and safer way to use smartphone technology and convenience in cars. Android Auto helps us reach that goal.”

Those who own a 2015 Sonata must have a device that runs on Android’s 5.0 Lollipop operating system or newer so that they can integrate it into their cars' dashboards.

By Jordan Perch

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Author Bio - Jordan Perch is an automotive fanatic and “safe driving” specialist. He is a writer for DMV.com, which is a collaborative community designed to help ease the stress and annoyance of “dealing with the DMV.”