As popularity of in-car connectivity is increasing, Kia is getting ready to introduce Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity across its entire European model range, over the next 18 months.
The brand’s first model to feature Android Auto, which is designed to work with compatible devices that run 5.0 Lollipop or higher and features voice-guided Google Maps navigation, hands-free calls and texts, voice recognition and music streaming, will be the Niro, at the start of its sales across the Old Continent, in the third quarter of the year.
By the end of 2016, the hybrid crossover will gain Apple CarPlay compatibility too, which works with iPhone 5 or newer smartphones and enables full Siri voice control to access various functions and apps that include navigation via Apple Maps, music streaming, audiobooks, calls and text dictation. Both systems are built into a 7.0- or 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment system that sits at the center of the dashboard.
Following the introduction of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay into the Kia Niro, its availability will be expanded across every model in Kia’s European product lineup, starting with the Optima Plug-In Hybrid and Sportswagon, expected later in 2016. Just like the Niro, the Optima PHEV will get Android Auto from launch and Apple CarPlay by the end of the year, while the Optima Sportswagon will be the company’s first vehicle to come with both technologies from start.
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