Hyundai Canada, Android Auto, & Apple CarPlay… The Plot Thickens
The saga of Hyundai Canada and their plans, or lack thereof to roll out Android Auto and Apple CarPlay took a bit of a twist this morning thanks to a post on the Hyundai Forums by user “jusungchai”. You see MnSOFT who is the company that puts out map updates for Hyundai and Kia in both the US and Canada posted information on their website noting among other things this:
They have a new version of the software that updates your infotainment system includes Android Auto. Not only that, it promises Apple CarPlay in a future update. All for $235. Here’s the problem. Actually several of them from an optics perspective:
- In an age where companies such as Ford and FCA are offering updates to millions of their customers that give them some or all of this functionality for free, Hyundai really looks like the odd man out by making people pay for this.
- Hyundai Canada continues to advertise Android Auto on the 2016 Tucson. Now consider the fact that this car was launched in the latter half of last year, and not advertising this feature. That’s maybe 7 or 8 months ago which isn’t a long time. Some people might say “Hey, why shouldn’t I get that functionality for free? After all, it’s the same model year and everything?” From where I stand, they kind of have a point.
- American Hyundai customers are getting this functionality for free. Thus again, it really makes Hyundai Canada look like the odd man out by the way they are handling this.
- This release by MnSOFT appears to contradict the “the fundamental differences in both hardware and required functionality (such as bilingual services)” statement that Hyundai Canada had mentioned when responding to their owners who asked them about this issue.
So, the net result in my mind is that this release by MnSOFT is going to take a situation that Hyundai Canada has not handed really well to date, and make it far worse than it needs to be. I truly think that given that most consumers not only make their car buying decisions based on the availability of Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and on how up-gradable their systems are, it would be in the best interests Hyundai Canada to come out and speak to this so that the optics are clear and there is certainty around this issue. Because right now, there’s anything but and that’s not helping them when it comes to how they’re perceived by those who own their cars.
June 13, 2016 at 8:53 pm
Agree 100%, the fact that 1 week ago the response from them was that this functionality was not possible and now is, but will cost you $300, smells of a cash grab. The fact that the lame response was based on bilingualism is such a joke too, considering that the American release includes Spanish AND French.
June 20, 2016 at 10:07 am
Hi there. Would you be willing to speak to me in regards to a story that I am writing on this topic? Please advise.
June 20, 2016 at 10:10 am
Sure would
June 20, 2016 at 10:12 am
Please e-mail me at nerd@theitnerd.ca with a contact number. Or if you’re in the GTA, perhaps I could meet you at a Starbucks? I’m buying. 🙂
June 14, 2016 at 12:16 pm
I’m at the point that I’d gladly pay the $300. Well, I’d bitch and yell (quietly) and scream 🙂 But, I am so sick and tired of the awful voice recognition (just making a phone call to my wife takes, on average, two tries before the idiot in the box understands me. And don’t get me started on trying to set up a nav via voice.
I do have to wonder if the Hyundai “help” department is run by Bell/Rogers.
June 20, 2016 at 10:07 am
Hi there. Would you be willing to speak to me in regards to a story that I am writing on this topic? Please advise.
June 21, 2016 at 8:54 am
I tried several times to reach MnSOFT because in addition to being Canadian, I own a 2016 Sonata PHEV wich is not listed specifically in there but when using the MnSOFT search engine with said car, it brings up the same part number as the 2017 Sonata PHEV. No success so far either by webchat or phone
The update is still not available for free for the Hybrids and PHEV in the US but they seem to be able to buy it.
So…I own a 45,000$ car that I took the time to research and even look up on Android’s auto website and reasonably determined that it would get an AA upgrade and now I learn from Hyundai Canada that it won’t get the free update.
Juste read the AA site:
https://www.android.com/auto/
Anyone would conclude that the 2016 PHEV (or any other Sonata for that matter) would get the upgrade…
Don’t get me wrong, I love my car but every time I site behind the wheel and see the dumbass NAVI system with it 4-5 years old maps, un-intuitive slow interface and unusable voice recognition in my 45K$ 2016 car, I cry a little inside…
It’s like having a killer dishwasher that you have to go put the detergent in the middle of the cycle or a 102″ Giant screen TV but no remote, you have to walk-up to it to change something. The whole experience is broken by a simple, easy to fix thing.
Thanks for pushing this issue, I just wish it would get more media attention and big companies don’t like to be called out in public for their stupidity…
JF.
June 21, 2016 at 12:31 pm
Well, at least I’m not the only one who figures that the nav voice recognition is totally out to lunch. What I don’t understand is why there is not a lot more complaining about this. Are you and I the only ones who speak so poorly that the idiot in the box doesn’t understand us?
August 22, 2016 at 12:26 am
Just bought the last 2016 sonata plug in, in Ontario only to find out this troubling news. Hope this gets straitened out soon. Smarten up Hyundai Canada.
August 22, 2016 at 1:20 pm
Ahh, so that makes 3 folk who don’t have the proper pronunciation skills to use this 🙂
September 13, 2016 at 5:14 am
I took delivery of a fully loaded Sonata Hybrid Ultimate tonight, only to find out that CarPlay wasn’t available when I went home to update my firmware.
After researching the car for several months and seeing the Sonata listed as a supported CarPlay model, I definitely feel something akin to cheated. It was absolutely a huge factor in my purchase decision.
In fact, Hyundai’s retroactive CarPlay support (in the US, as it turns out) was a huge selling point for me; it demonstrated that they were committed to their customers and products post-sale.
I’m also confused by the reasoning they’ve provided. Are they selling Canadians watered-down versions of the US model? I can’t figure out what changes would be warranted aside from a metric speedometer.
I hope this is all just an example of poor corporate communication, and not an indication of their regard for the Canadian market.
November 15, 2016 at 3:56 pm
2016 Tucson owner here….
Frustrating as is, i’m waiting to see what the map update is “Version 10.5”.
It is quite disappointing to read all this, i feel for you all hyundai owners. I’ll wait and see if this is worth it, even if it costs $$$$.
Thank you for this post.
June 3, 2017 at 3:39 pm
I think Hyundai Canada doesn’t care about their customers.
Here is my opinion about Hyundai. Cut and dry…
“Even thou a like my 2016 Tucson (fully loaded), this my first and last Hyundai.”
Because of little things like that and greater depreciation on the car’s value, I’m never doing any business with them. Much rather go with Ford, that has all the bells and whistles I want with no BS.