Hyundai and Kia are partnering with Google to include Google Maps application programming interfaces (APIs) in their telematics platforms—Hyundai Blue Link and Kia’s UVO eServices—in the US, said the automaker’s press release. With the integration of Google Maps API, Blue Link will now offer features such as Send to Car, Point of Interest Search and Local Search by Voice. These services aim to help drivers locate and navigate destinations conveniently and more precisely.
Significance: Kia plans to debut its infotainment and telematics system UVO eServices integrated with the Google APIs in the first quarter of 2013, when 2014 Kia Sorento will be launched. The second generation of the UVO system will use Google Maps and Google Places for direction and location (Point of Interest) information. The drivers of 2014 Sorento can send a destination or point of interest to their vehicles directly via the Google Maps interface on their smartphones through the Send2Car feature.
