Kia drivers are going to get Google Maps data soon

Hyundai and Kia will integrate Google Maps data into their current vehicle infotainment platforms ahead of a switchover to the Android Automotive operating system, the automakers announced today.

Hyundai, Kia, and the luxury nameplate Genesis will use Google Maps Platform’s Places API to inject 250 million points of interest into the existing navigation software. Kia will be the first to get the new data integration in North America, with “subsequent expansions” to other Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis models globally. Hyundai says the changes are part of an ongoing Google partnership that accelerates their development of what the automaker calls “software-defined vehicles,” or SDV.

We asked Hyundai if current models on the road will get Google Maps data through a software update and will update this story when we get a response. The current navigation app for the companies primarily uses points of interest data from digital mapping company TomTom. Tesla is also one of several automakers that has its own navigation software on a closed OS but uses Places API for mapping data.

However, Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis will soon follow the industry-wide trend of moving to Google’s Android Automotive operating system, which runs the Google Maps app natively and can support Google Play Store apps.