Kia’s new fashions getting additional tech for Christmas

Patrons of the brand new Kia EV9 and Sorento must wait till December to get wi-fi smartphone mirroring, the corporate has confirmed.

Common supervisor for product planning at Kia Australia, Roland Rivero, confirmed with CarExpert the primary models of the model’s new flagship gained’t include wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto from the manufacturing unit and must await an over-the-air (OTA) software program replace in December.

This comes after the Korean model confirmed the EV9 and up to date Sorento would be the first vehicles to help wi-fi smartphone mirroring alongside inbuilt satellite tv for pc navigation regionally – a key omission within the model’s vehicles of late.

It’s understood an analogous replace is coming for the brand new Hyundai Kona and Sonata, which each characteristic the identical next-generation Related Automobile Navigation Cockpit (ccNc).

Traditionally, Hyundai and Kia’s reasoning for the shortage of wi-fi smartphone mirroring in nav-equipped fashions has centred round an ongoing dispute with tech suppliers round mapping, as each native navigation and app-based routing from Apple Maps and/or Google Maps are on the desk.

Kia and Hyundai already provide wi-fi Apple CarPlay and Android Auto on base infotainment programs with out native satellite tv for pc navigation – normally entry-level grades or its lower-end nameplates just like the Picanto.

Mr Rivero has famous backwards compatibility with current automobiles won’t be doable, because the fifth-generation infotainment system fitted to the present vary lacks the {hardware} for each confirmed new options.

Following the EV9 and new Sorento, the facelifted Carnival is the following confirmed mannequin in Kia’s line-up to characteristic ccNC, and can subsequently provide the identical tech when it launches in Australia someday subsequent 12 months.

MORE: The whole lot Kia Carnival | EV9 | Sorento