Hyundai Motor Group unveiled its next-generation infotainment system, "Pleos Connect," on the 30th. It is built so it can be handled like a smartphone by loading Google's in-vehicle operating system (OS) onto a 17-inch large display, marking the first starting point for the group's transition to a software-defined vehicle (SDV).
Hyundai Motor Group held a Pleos Connect launch event on the 29th at UX Studio Seoul in Gangnam, Seoul. It is a mass-production model designed to be installed in actual vehicles based on the "Pleos25" introduced last year. It will be installed first in the Grandeur facelift model to be released next month. Hyundai Motor Group plans to apply it sequentially to Hyundai Motor, Kia, and Genesis.
In existing vehicles, the instrument cluster behind the steering wheel is reduced, and a 17-inch large display is placed in the space between the driver and front passenger seats. Drivers can check all driving information such as speed, transmission status, warning lights, and fuel efficiency. Hyundai Motor said that in developing Pleos Connect, it set the principle of "implementing a screen that anyone can easily understand and use."
Pleos Connect is divided into three screens. The left "driving information screen" continuously shows essential information for driving, such as speed, warning lights, and electric/fuel efficiency, like a traditional cluster. While driving, it displays surrounding vehicles, objects, and people in 3D graphics. Through the right "app screen," users can access functions such as navigation, media viewing, vehicle control and settings, and content use. This app screen can be split into navigation and content use, among others.
A slim display is placed in front of the driver so key information needed for driving can be checked quickly without shifting gaze. Drivers can freely combine information such as speed, media, and route according to personal preference or convenience and surface it on the slim display. Physical buttons are also provided, so users are not dependent only on the touchscreen buttons of the large display. Drivers can control vehicle functions such as climate control and seat heating and cooling while keeping their eyes forward, even while driving.
Gleo artificial intelligence (AI) is also installed. Developed based on a large language model (LLM), it is characterized by comprehensively understanding the user's intent, the context of the conversation, and the driving situation. Hyundai Motor explained that it can accurately understand abstract expressions such as "there" and "around here," and even when spoken in imperfect sentences or various regional dialects, it grasps the intended tone and converses accordingly.
Zone-based voice recognition is also a strength of this AI. If the driver says, "Turn on the ventilation seat at my place," the AI recognizes the speaking position and turns on only the driver's seat ventilation. If the front passenger simply says, "Me too," it turns on the front passenger seat ventilation on its own. It performs functions by understanding the previous conversation context.
Hyundai Motor Group also built a development platform that allows external developers to create in-car apps. If each app developer equips its app with voice features, it can be operated directly with Gleo AI.
Lee Jong-won, executive vice president of the Feature & CCS division at Hyundai Motor and Kia, said, "Pleos Connect is a next-generation infotainment system that provides an elevated mobility experience by combining an AI-advanced technology stack with a mobile-friendly platform," adding, "it will serve as an opportunity to vividly feel the limitless expansion potential of future mobility."
However, there is speculation that it will be difficult to use Pleos Connect in existing Hyundai Motor and Kia vehicles, because there are major differences in hardware components.