Kia has unveiled a slate of improvements via over-the-air (OTA) updates to its telematics-equipped vehicles, model year 2022 and onwards. The most recent batch of changes, totalling 153 in number, include the addition of music streaming service SoundCloud, improvements to the EV Route Planner, and enhanced voice commands.
The clever digital enhancements that come with this latest update can be accessed through the Kia Connect App. These features boost the vehicle’s capabilities and performance, with the car being updated remotely via OTA. Notably, the bandwidth for these updates is now tripled, enabling faster completion times.
Driver Speed Assistance Warnings
One of the standout features of this update is the ease with which driver speed assistance warnings can now be deactivated. A simple mute button on the steering wheel suffices for this function. Additionally, the EV Route Planner now comes with a split-screen feature, making it easier for drivers to view key information like arrival time, state-of-charge, and charging point details.
Sjoerd Knipping, Vice President of Marketing and Product at Kia Europe and Managing Director of Kia Connect, said the intelligent changes in this latest update point towards the significant improvements OTA updates bring to the ownership experience.
SoundCloud
The updates are downloaded using wireless technology, with completion and installation signalled on the infotainment screen once the ignition is turned off. This update also warmly welcomes SoundCloud, a leading music streaming service with an expansive library of tracks and artists, to the Kia family. With this addition, SoundCloud joins Amazon Music, already supported by voice recognition, as a music streaming option in Kia vehicles.
Kia EV Route Planner
The Kia EV Route Planner, initially available via the Kia Connect Store, has also seen improvements. It can now automatically detect and add charging stations along the route and add them as waypoints. Thanks to a new split-screen feature, drivers can get a broader overview of significant charging information. It also has the capability to add charging stations to a route if the destination is out of reach at the vehicle’s current charging level, which results in expedited route calculation.
Also included in the update are battery conditioning activation when a customer searches for charging stations via voice recognition, and new voice control commands supporting queries for flight information, date/time, ambient lighting and cluster information.
The updates can be availed of via a one-year trial that includes two free OTA updates for vehicle’s navigation maps and infotainment. After this period, a subscription service for the updates is available on the Kia Connect Store from 89 EUR per year, with update packages arriving twice annually.
