Hyundai, Kia and Samsung to partner on vehicles and smartphones

SEOUL: Three leading South Korean firms have partnered to improve the integration of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) and smartphones.

Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have formed a strategic technology partnership with Samsung Electronics to establish a strong foothold in the mobility service ecosystem, the companies said on Wednesday.

Hyundai Motor and Kia said they are working on a next-generation infotainment system and an open mobility ecosystem, in collaboration with Hyundai motor Group's global software centre, 42dot.

This development aims to provide a user-centered vehicle environment, enhancing the connectivity of the infotainment system set to be unveiled in 2026.

As a result of this agreement, Hyundai Motor and Kia will create technology to seamlessly connect software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with the smartphone ecosystem through Samsung Electronics' SmartThings.

By integrating with the global Internet of Things (IoT) platform, they aim to enhance customers' mobility experiences, ensuring a smooth connection throughout the vehicle usage process and speeding up the transition to fully realized SDVs.

Hyundai Motor, Kia and Samsung Electronics will introduce a service for vehicle location verification.

It will be expanded and advanced through integration with SmartThings Find, offering a global vehicle location tracking service.

The service is accessible via a crowdsourced network of hundreds of millions of Samsung Galaxy devices that use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology to report their location, without restrictions related to cellular coverage.

The companies noted that customers can easily check their vehicle's location through the Connected Car Service app in unexpected situations, such as forgetting where they parked or in case of theft.

Even Hyundai or Kia customers whose vehicles aren't registered with the Connected Car Service can check the location through the Samsung SmartThings app.