If you're shopping for a Kia vehicle, you've probably read or heard about the UVO system. UVO, which stands for "Your Voice," has been a multimedia platform within the Kia family since 2010.
Co-developed with Microsoft, UVO initially enabled audio controls and hands-free phone communication.
The second generation, introduced in 2014, moved to a Google-based operating system and seamlessly integrated Google Maps, among others. This was followed by voice recognition services that offer a number of features such as navigation, vehicle location services, maintenance and emergency assistance functions.
The current version of the UVO system was last updated in 2018, first with the refreshed version of the Optima 2019. Additions included UVO Play, UVO Link and UVO Link with navigation.
With Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, UVO Play connects your smartphone to the multimedia system via a USB cable. You can then use voice recognition to operate your phone for navigation, calls, messages and music, just as you would with in-car technology.
With UVO Link, a built-in modem is used to add safety and comfort features to the car. In addition to the features of UVO Play, UVO Link can provide you with on-demand vehicle diagnostics, maintenance alerts, enhanced roadside assistance and emergency contact services. For owners of Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs) and Electric Vehicles (EVs), UVO Link adds a charging schedule, charging statistics, battery low alerts and a function to perform a charging station search.
Finally, UVO Link with navigation allows you to send a Google Maps destination from any device to the UVO system once your phone is connected to the vehicle.
A host of other features are available through Kia's services, such as real-time information on traffic, weather, road warnings and more. E-Mobility features provide PHEV and EV model owners with additional data about their vehicle, such as power consumption, so they can make informed decisions about battery-dependent features such as air conditioning.
All in all, the UVO system has been refined over the years and has become an indispensable personal assistant of sorts. For more details, don't hesitate to consult us to see how the system can be deployed in the Kia vehicle that interests you.
