Summary Hyundai promised to install the Android system in other models.
SEOUL (AFP) - South Korea s Hyundai Motor said Wednesday it has become the first carmaker to offer Google s Android Auto system in its Sonata model sold in the US market.
The company said US Android smartphone users with a 2015 Sonata sedan can now ask car dealers to download the system for free if they have a vehicle with navigation.
Android users will be able to plug their phones into their cars and have details like navigation, messaging and calls appear on the vehicle s eight-inch touchscreen, it said.
Hyundai, the world s fifth largest auto group with affiliate Kia Motors, promised to install the Android system in other models, along with Apple s version of the system called CarPlay.
"Android Auto aligns with Hyundai s core interior design principles of safety, intuitiveness and simplicity," Hyundai Motor America CEO Dave Zuchowski said in a statement released in California.
"With the launch of Android Auto, we provide more owners with the experience of cutting-edge technology," he added.
Hyundai said the Android system improves safety as it will prevent drivers from becomning distracted.
The smartphone s screen becomes "locked" so drivers are not tempted to look down and interact with their phones directly while Android Auto is in use, it said.
