Hyundai, Kia & Samsung Join Forces to Enhance SDV Experience

Partners to develop a next-generation infotainment system and an open ecosystem in collaboration with 42dot to provide a user-centered environment

Seoul, South Korea- Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation have partnered with Samsung Electronics to strengthen the integration of software-defined vehicles (SDVs) with smartphones, aiming to lead the mobility services market.

The signing ceremony was held today at Samsung Electronics Seoul R&D Campus, with attendees including Chang Song, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division; Haeyoung Kwon, Vice President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Infotainment Development Center; Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President and Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics and Head of Samsung Research; and Jinhee Choi, Senior Executive Vice President of 42dot.

Hyundai and Kia are preparing for the SDV era by developing a next-gen infotainment system and open mobility ecosystem with 42dot, Hyundai's software center. The goal is to enhance connectivity and create a user-centered vehicle experience, with a 2026 launch planned.

Mr. Chang Song, President and Head of Hyundai Motor Group Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division, said, our goal is to enrich Hyundai Motor and Kia customers’ mobility experience by offering personalized services that extend beyond transportation, seamlessly integrating vehicles with smartphones.”

Through their partnership with Samsung Electronics, Hyundai and Kia will integrate SDVs with the smartphone ecosystem using SmartThings. This collaboration aims to enhance the mobility experience by seamlessly connecting vehicle use to smartphones, advancing the shift to fully software-defined vehicles.

Mr. Paul (Kyungwhoon) Cheun, President, CTO of DX Division at Samsung Electronics and Head of Samsung Research, said, through our collaboration with Hyundai and Kia, customers will experience the convenience of SmartThings not only at home but also in their vehicles, transcending space. We will continue to expand the SmartThings ecosystem, offering new lifestyles and value to even more customers.

Hyundai, Kia, and Samsung Electronics will introduce a vehicle location tracking service integrated with SmartThings Find. Using a crowdsourced network of Samsung Galaxy devices with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), the service works without cellular coverage limits. Customers can track their vehicle's location via the Connected Car Service app or SmartThings app, even if their vehicle isn’t registered, helping in situations like theft or forgotten parking spots.

Hyundai and Kia will simplify member registration by linking user accounts with Samsung Electronics. Future plans include services tailored to customers’ lifestyles, like healthcare and pet care, in collaboration with Samsung. Working with 42dot, they aim to seamlessly connect vehicles with smartphones and introduce user-centered services. Hyundai and Kia will also share APIs and SDKs to enhance mobility experiences and plan to host a 2025 Developer Conference, inviting external developers to create apps for their next-gen SDV platform.