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Hyundai wants to replace the owner's manual with AR
Korean car maker Hyundai wants you to leave your owner's manual in the glove box. Instead it's updating its Car Care app for iOS and Android with the Hyundai Virtual Guide AR feature that not only points out important elements in its vehicles but also includes video tutorials on how to use those features and perform simple maintenance like checking the oil and changing the air filter.
Taking a spin in the first car with Android Auto
Get ready for Android Auto to hit the masses. Until now, the only way to get the Google-powered car interface was to install an aftermarket unit from Pioneer, and even those have only been around since March (Parrot is also citing support for Android Auto in its head units, but its availability has not been announced). But that changes today, as Android Auto is now finally available in actual cars that you can buy. That is, if you want to buy a Hyundai. The Korean automaker is the first car company to have Android Auto integrated in its production vehicles, starting with the 2015 Sonata with Navigation models. I recently spent a week with a 2015 Hyundai Sonata Sport 2.0T, and while I think Android Auto still has some growing up to do, I was overall very pleased.
Hyundai's bringing Apple's CarPlay to some new Sonata models
It's becoming a trend to see more and more companies integrate their products with Apple's CarPlay, whether it be car manufacturers or makers of in-dash systems. The latest to join the movement is Hyundai, announcing that navigation-equipped 2015 Sonata models will feature the recently unveiled in-car infotainment system from Apple. Hyundai says that adopting CarPlay was an easy decision for its engineers, since it provides an interface that's already familiar to iPhone users and takes advantage of the new Sonata's 8-inch touchscreen. More importantly, Hyundai's plan to feature CarPlay makes it one of the more cost-effective brands to do so -- and that's a great thing, because not everyone can afford a Merdeces or a Ferrari.
Hyundai Sonata Hybrid was delayed into 2011... by 'virtual engine sound' system
Remember how at the end of last year the US legislature decided to make it mandatory for EVs to churn out an audible noise while in motion? It was all in the name of saving pesky pedestrians from getting in the way of your gliding electro-car, but the new law itself has managed to create a bump in the road for at least one company. Hyundai's Sonata Hybrid was all set to launch in late 2010, equipped with a "virtual engine sound" system that the user could toggle on and off, however the government's request that it be kept permanently on required modifications to the vehicle's wiring harnesses, UI software and user manuals, delaying its debut into late January. These tweaks had to be done "amazingly late in the process," according to Hyundai America CEO John Krafcik, but the delay will at least ensure that all of Hyundai's Sonatas will sound the same. Which is something, we guess.
