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South Korea's Hyundai Kia Automotive Group has announced a long awaited rival infotainment system to the Ford SYNC, dubbbed UVO, Like SYNC, the new system is powered by Microsoft Auto.  (Source: Hyundai Kia AG via Engadget)
It's Episode I of the Attack of the SYNC Clones

For the last year and a half, SYNC, an infotainment system, has been driving stronger vehicle sales at Ford.  Many consumers jumped at the chance to add the feature, which brought cutting edge technology like voice operated music to the car for the first time, while offering many familiar commands like turn-by-turn directions and phone calls, with a voice activated twist.

However, Ford was not the first automaker internationally to deploy a system based on Microsoft Auto, the OS underlying SYNC (that honor goes to Italy's Fiat SpA), and it seemed unlikely that it would be the last.  Now after over a year of preparation and discussions with Microsoft, South Korea's Hyundai Kia Automotive Group is getting a similar system.

Microsoft and Hyundai Kia announced a new system called UVO (for "your voice") that should be soon incoming to vehicles according to Engadget.  Similar to SYNC, the system will likely fulfill a variety of infotainment roles.

Even as Ford prepares to announce new SYNC features at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show, next month, Hyundai Kia and Microsoft are expected to have a showcase announcement for UVO as well.

Details are currently scarce about the new system.  It should be interesting to see how it stacks up against the latest iteration of SYNC.  If the 2000's could be called the decade of horsepower wars, it appears that the upcoming decade may be called the decade of car-tech wars.

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RE: No thanks...
By Indigo64 on 12/31/2009 7:36:01 PM , Rating: 2
Because everyone has an automotive prejudice against Kia. It's the same problem that AMD had with image prior to the Athlon. Now there are people who swear by AMD when they couldn't stop raving about Intel.

If my father hadn't cosigned on my first auto loan back when I got my first car, I never would have discovered the joy that was my Kia Rio. It came time for me to move up, and I bought a Sorento. Both cars have gotten me beyond the warranty, and the Sorento is still working today. I wouldn't trade it for anything else in the world, and I'm not scared to use it like a real SUV should be used. I use it for everything you see in those commercials, and it never ceases to amaze me that for as many people that buy those "nicer" brands, they all have one thing in common - they're never dirty. A clean SUV is the sign of a distressed mind, but these are the same people who pay the price for these "popular" brands, and they're too afraid to use it for anything than a commuter vehicle. I live in Colorado, and trust me, I use the SUV like it should be used. Nothing that anyone on this forum or in "official" car reports can tell me otherwise. Yes, I've test driven cars from other companies, the Kias always sold me. You folks have fun living in your backwards minds and let your decisions be influenced by what you hear, and the prejudices you have against these companies like Kia/Hyundai & AMD. I'll go by living life, more cash in the wallet, and enjoying my time with them.

P.S. Kia and Hyundai are just like any other car - take good care of them, keep up with the maintenance and treat them right, and they'll be there for you just as often as anything else.


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