Hyundai First to Market with Android Auto System

Hyundai Motor Co. has begun offering Google Inc.'s Android Auto smartphone interface on new vehicles, starting with the 2015 Sonata.

Hyundai is the first automaker to make the technology an option in a production car the interface has been available through the aftermarket since March. Other automakers, including Ford, General Motors, Honda and Volkswagen, are expected to offer Android Auto within the next year.

Sonata buyers must get a $5,500 technology package with an 8-inch navigation screen to add Android Auto. Current Sonata owners with the navigation system can have Android Auto uploaded for free at Hyundai dealers. Later this summer, drivers will be able to do this themselves by downloading the software from the Internet onto a USB memory drive, then plugging it into the vehicle.

Developed under the Google-led Open Automotive Alliance that includes 28 auto companies and brands, Android Auto allows motorists to make phone calls via Bluetooth, use Google's mapping service and access music and other applications without having to take their eyes off the road to look at their smartphones. The system also synchronizes smartphone calendars, preferences and other information with the car's location to automatically suggest driving routes and other customized features.

Activating the in-vehicle system automatically locks the screen of the user's phone, which they can now control via voice commands, steering wheel controls or the navigation touchscreen. Software updates are done automatically over the Internet.