It wasn’t that long ago that CD players replaced cassette players as the standard personal media playing device for cars, but now the time has come for CD players to be replaced. Hyundai Motors recently unveiled its advanced new infotainment system that will be implemented into the South Korean automaker’s future vehicles and one of the most noticeable omissions was the lack of a CD player, which the company has abandoned in favor of smartphone connectivity.
The CD player is going the way of the tape deck in Hyundai Vehicles. The Korean automaker announced today that its new infotainment unit will eschew the compact disk reader, choosing instead to embrace smartphone connectivity. The system will be optimized for use with Apple CarPlay as well as Android Auto, software that carries some apps from your mobile OS of choice over to the car’s center console. The Display Audio system will be centered around a seven-inch touch screen that Hyundai wishes to make the head unit for all its cars, even the entry-level volume cars. “As affordable car buyers are often younger, Hyundai aims to provide what they want most in their car – all the latest smartphone-enabled technologies at a lower price,” said Cason Grover, senior group manager, cross-carline planning of Hyundai Motor America. Those smartphone technologies include text messaging via voice commands, accessing navigation via a phone connection, and making calls, naturally.
