- Hyundai’s infotainment system now integrates Google Places, offering data on over 250 million global locations.
- The update provides in-dash access to images, reviews and business hours for selected Hyundai models.
- Hyundai will launch its Android Automotive-based Pleos Connect system in 2026, starting with a new electric SUV.
Hyundai’s latest infotainment update may not be flashy, but it’s a clever move for anyone still using built-in navigation.
The carmaker has quietly added Google Places functionality to its ccNC (connected car Navigation Cockpit) system, giving drivers access to data on over 250 million global locations without ever picking up their phone.
That means if you search for a petrol station, café, or pharmacy using your Hyundai’s native nav, it’ll now serve up richer info: photos, descriptions, reviews and business hours - just like what you’d get on Google Maps.
It’s not Google Maps itself, and it’s not Android Automotive either, but it’s a meaningful boost for Hyundai’s existing software.
Kona, Santa Fe, Ioniq 5 and friends get the nod
The update is rolling out via software to select models, including the Kona, Santa Fe, Tucson, Ioniq 5, Ioniq 5 N and the upcoming Ioniq 9.
Hyundai hasn’t disclosed whether the rest of the lineup will also receive the upgrade, however.
Meanwhile, the wider Hyundai Motor Group confirmed last year that sibling brands Kia and Genesis will also benefit from Google Places integration, though no specific rollout timeline has been provided.
With more than 100 million updates processed daily by Google Maps, this new tie-in gives Hyundai owners a far more dynamic guide baked right into the dash.
Android Automotive on the horizon
This is just the start. From 2026, Hyundai will begin phasing in its next-gen infotainment platform called Pleos Connect, which is built on Android Automotive. Unlike smartphone mirroring apps, Android Automotive is baked into the car and doesn’t rely on your device to function.
Hyundai says the system will debut in a new electric SUV set to sit above the Inster in its lineup. The model is expected to share some underpinnings with the upcoming Kia EV2 and align with the Euro-focused Bayon.
For now, the modest Google Places update is a welcome tweak to Hyundai’s in-house navigation - one that might even convince a few diehards to leave their phones in their pockets.