Google just announced that the Hyundai Motor Company, the corporation behind the Hyundai and Kia car brands, will integrate Google Maps and Places into its telematics systems. Both Hyundai’s Blue Link and Kia’s second-generation UVO eServices will soon give drivers access to Google Maps and Google Places.
The first car to get access to these new solutions is the 2014 Kia Sorento CUV, with other models to follow in the coming months. It’s not clear when the first Hyundai-branded car with this new integration will be launched.
The system will feature Google’s Send2Car feature, which allows users to send POIs and other destinations from Google Maps on their smartphones directly to their cars. This isn’t really a new feature, of course, as Ford, Audi and BMW already use this tool. It will also use Google Maps for directions and Google Places for providing POI information.
“We’re always looking for ways to make it easier for people to discover more relevant information to help them make informed choices — whether that’s where to go for a coffee, or where to take dry cleaning,” said Tarun Bhatnagar, head of Enterprise Geo at Google in a canned statement today. “It’s great to see that more drivers now have access to fresh, web-based content while on the go with the Hyundai Blue Link Google Maps integration.”
Google also used today’s announcement to highlight the Google Maps integration into other cars, including Audi’s use of Google’s local search, satellite and Street View imagery, Daimler’s integration of Street View imagery and Google local search and Zagat ratings and, of course, Tesla’s Google Maps integration with real-time traffic updates on the 17-inch screen in the Model S.