Hyundai and KIA to get over the air updates from 2025 in new connected car operating system

The Hyundai Motor Group has announced a suite of high-tech features coming to their brands including over-the-air updates, autonomous driving and connected car features.

While the specific features and models are some way from being announced, the group as a whole is taking a software based approach to all vehicles going forward.

This SDV – or software defined vehicle, allows the cars to get updates and features throughout the life of the car.

In the global announcement, all three brands, KIA, Genesis and Hyundai were mentioned, with “ Over-The-Air (OTA) software updates for all models by 2025 will offer enhanced performance and functionality anytime, anywhere across all global markets, to keep all models up to date”

While an earlier date of 2023 was mentioned for the OTA updates, its likely Australia will be in the back end of that, and as such I’d expect to see it closer to 2025 than earlier.

Underpinning this whole new approach is a new operating system for all the company’s cars.  Called ccOS, the “Connected Car OS” will power everything from the Infotainment to autonomous driving.

Speaking of which, that’s stepping up as soon as this year, Woongjun Jang – Senior Vice President and Head of Autonomous driving for Hyundai Motor Group saying “This year, the Group will apply an advanced Highway Driving Pilot (HDP) on the Genesis G90, which is a Level 3 technology for autonomous driving based on the second-generation integrated controller,” 

Adding that there is also work going into advanced autonomous parking too, “The Group is also developing its Remote Parking Pilot (RPP) for Level 3 autonomous driving.”  

And that the next generation controller in the new vehicle will also push that forward to the future “The third-generation integrated controller will become the basis for the Group’s expansion of mass-producing autonomous driving Level 3 vehicles as well as the commercialisation of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving levels in due course. It is also being developed to deliver improved heat dissipation, lower noise levels and reduced production costs.”

While again there’s no details, we can expect a future where cars as they leave the showroom but are constantly not only updated, but also upgraded, with Hyundai saying “Constantly upgradeable vehicle software will bolster Hyundai Motor Group’s ability to secure diverse and stable revenue streams by providing fresh vehicle features and functionality and leveraging selected data to offer personalised services for each customer.”

Also adding that “Connected vehicles equipped with cutting-edge telecommunication features will create unprecedented value and possibilities and provide customers personalised services, such as software subscriptions.”

Expect your new car to have an App Store, new apps which may contain subscriptions, but also expect that some features on the new-car spec sheet will be available after purchase.

While this is not a Hyundai example, just for some context, imagine a car that doesn’t have maps built in, perhaps you choose to add that you might be able to do so from within the car at the touch of a button.  Perhaps things like heated seats could be a subscription you only take up in the winter months instead of buying it up front in the purchase of the car.

Bottom line, Hyundai is investing heavily in software and hardware to power the connected car of the future.  Over $2 Trillion Australian Dollars will be invested by Hyundai Motor Group by 2030 in sectors such as the Global Software Center and in their R&D headquarters to further strengthen software capabilities for SDV development. 

Not a bad time to be a software developer, big jobs on offer.

As car owners, OTA updates are a new must-have, this is a big step forward for a “legacy” car maker.